In many snakes, males engage in agonistic interactions (male–male combat) apparently to establish dominant–subordinate relationships to gain priority access to reproductive females. In the Neotropical genus Bothrops Wagler, 1824 (∼45 species), male–male combat has been recorded only in three species of the monophyletic Bothrops atrox group. However, most male combats recorded in this clade occurred in captivity, an environment that facilitates the emergence of agonistic interactions. Here, we provide the first record of male–male combat in free-ranging Amazonian Common Lanceheads (Bothrops atrox (Linnaeus, 1758)) and discuss the implications of this observation for the species mating system. During fieldwork, we found one immature female and five active adult males, two of them fighting. These observations suggest that reproductive male B. atrox actively search and compete for widely dispersed and scarce receptive females.
The two-striped forest-pitviper (Bothrops bilineatus) is an arboreal snake that is currently represented by two subspecies (B. b. bilineatus and B. b. smaragdinus) that comprise a species complex, and its distribution is in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest. The rarity of encounters with this snake is reflected in the low occurrence of cases of snakebites throughout its geographic distribution and the resulting low number of published clinical reports. However, in some areas, B. bilineatus proves to be more frequent and causes envenomations in a greater proportion. Herein, we review the main aspects of the species complex B. bilineatus, including its biology, ecology, taxonomy, morphology, genetic and molecular studies, geographic distribution, conservation status, venom, pathophysiology and clinical aspects, and epidemiology. In addition, the different antivenoms available for the treatment of envenomations caused by B. bilineatus are presented along with suggestions for future studies that are needed for a better understanding of the snakebites caused by this snake.
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