Many species of venomous snakes in the families Viperidae and Elapidae are found in Costa Rica, a tropical country known for high biodiversity. Around 2001 there were often said to be seventeen species of venomous snakes in the country, but modern scientists from the University of Costa Rica believe there are actually twenty-three.
These snake species are:
- Elapidae:
- Micrurus alleni, Allen’s coral snake
- Micrurus nigrocinctus, Central American coral snake
- Micrurus mosquitensis, Costa Rican coral snake
- Micrurus mipartitus, many-banded coral snake
- Micrurus clarki, Clark’s coral snake
- Hydrophis platura, yellow-bellied sea snake
- Viperidae:
- Porthidium volcanicum, Ujarran hognose
- Porthidium porrasi, white-tailed hognose
- Porthidium ophryomegas, slender hognose
- Porthidium nasutum, horned hognose
- Lachesis stenophrys, Central American bushmaster
- Lachesis melanocephala, black-headed bushmaster
- Crotalus simus, Central American rattlesnake
- Cerrophidion sasai, Costa Rican montane pitviper
- Bothrops asper, fer-de-lance
- Bothriechis supraciliaris, blotched palm pitviper
- Bothriechis schlegelii, eyelash viper
- Bothriechis nubestris, Talamancan palm pitviper
- Bothriechis nigroviridis, black-speckled palm pitviper
- Bothriechis lateralis, side-striped palm pitviper
- Atropoides picadoi, Picado’s pitviper
- Atropoides mexicanus, Central American jumping pitviper
- Agkistrodon howardgloydi, cantil viper
