I just heard that there is a posionous snake in Argentina and the wearing of gaitors is recommended. Can anyone fill me in on what type of snake this is, it's distribution, prevalance and if a tricot gaitor offers enough protection?

I believe it is called a Yarara. And the only one on this site that I know of that encountered one was Steve Graves. I would not be concerned about it....in all my wanderings about I never saw one, and I also never heard of a recommendation for wearing gaitors. I am sure one of the regulars on this thread will respond.

Yarara', a medium size lancehead viper, akin to the larger fer-de-lance further north. A pair of gaitors would likely help, but not 100%.

This from the Net:

"A yarara, scientifically named Bothrops jararaca, is a medium-sized venomous species of pit viper. A mature yarara is fairly slender and measures about 32-63 inches (80-160 cm) in length, with the female usually somewhat longer than the male. In appearance, individual snakes of this species can differ significantly from each other because of the variety of skin tones that these snakes can have. Skin colors come in shades of olive, maroon, yellow, tan, brown or gray. Yararas do share certain physical characteristics, such as dark blotches that come in a variety of shapes and sizes on their backs and pronounced dark-brown stripes on the head that run in an angle from the mouth to just behind the eyes.


Geographically, the yarara has a limited distribution. This snake is found only in the southeastern region of South America, roughly from northern Argentina, through Paraguay to southern Brazil. Yararas are also found on a few islands that are about 20 miles (35 km) off the coast of Brazil. The yarara is regarded as the most poisonous snake within the area it inhabits. It is abundant, and many of the areas it inhabits are densely populated, so it is the leading cause of snakebite in the region.

For habitat, the yarara prefers to live in open areas where vegetation cover is near. Most often, it is found at low to medium elevations from about sea level to about 3,280 feet (1,000 m). Within its range, the yarara has adapted to a variety of habitats and is found not only in open areas but also in large cities, cultivated fields, scrubs and various types of forests.

The diet of this snake changes as it matures. When newly born, a yarara mainly preys on frogs but will also eat insects such as centipedes, lizards, birds and some small rodents. An adult snake of this species, however, gets more than 80 percent of its food from rodents. Yararas hunt at night and bite the prey to inject venom before eating it.


Breeding season ends in February and March when births occur. Its eggs are not laid in a nest but grow inside of the mother, where they also hatch so that the babies are actually born alive. Scientists estimate that the size of litters varies from about five to 22. The tail tips of newborns are white or yellowish. As the diet of the newborn changes to consuming warm-blooded animals, the tail tip darkens and takes on the colors of the rest of its body."

I’ve encountered maybe a half dozen or so of these snakes over the years that I’ve been hunting in Argentina. Most of the ones that I’ve seen though have been no longer than 18 inches. The one in the photo below is one of the largest one that I ever came across and it measured somewhere in the 30 to 36 inch range. We didn’t bother to measure it.



The locals have a healthy respect for these snakes and most where gaiters, albeit leather ones. I wear gaiters that are made out of a thick type of cloth material that are quiet when walking through brush and the locals tell me would protect me from most strikes, but probably not 100%. I also wear them to keep all the stickers off and to keep my lower legs dry when walking in wet grass.

I wouldn’t concern myself too much about it, but I do think that gaiters are a good idea and worth the investment.

Great information you guys, thanks alot.

Snake Guardz leggings or full pants. I field tested them and they work.
LDK

Friends my farm its infested with this snakes ,but we never have an accident ,nor our workers ,and we were running for years in shorts in the bush .My father got one of our spaniel bretons bited while partrige hunting.SGRAVES snakes was almost stepped by me ....Juan

We saw one of those in LaPampa last March...