Also known as yarará de la cruz, for the cross-shaped or telephone-shaped design it bears on its head. A thick, stout body of brown or grayish color, adorned on the sides with dark inverted "C"-shaped blotches edged with white. The triangular head is well differentiated from the neck, with vertical pupils and a loreal pit between the eye and the nostril that works as an ultra-sensitive thermal sensor to detect the heat of its prey in the dark. It has mobile, hollow fangs (solenoglyphous dentition) with which it injects a potent hemotoxic venom. Length: 80 to 120 cm. Weight: 1 to 2.5 kg.
Behaviour
Mainly nocturnal and crepuscular. It spends the day hidden under fallen logs, scrub or rodent burrows. An animal that does not pursue humans, but with a fast defensive reaction: it can bite if stepped on, disturbed or cornered with no way out. Its diet is based almost exclusively on small mammals such as field mice and cavies.
How and when to see it
Year-round, with reduced activity in the colder months. Tourists usually come across it at dusk or at night while walking the pedestrian trails on firm ground or along the edges of the vehicle roads.
Where to see it in the Iberá
The gateways of the Great Iberá Park where urutu lancehead has confirmed presence:
Tours to see it
Verified providers operating at the gateways where urutu lancehead lives. You contact them directly on WhatsApp from the app.
- Esteros Ñe’é
Experiences with local storytelling and a cultural take on the marshes.★ 5.0 - Gaucho Argentino
Horseback journeys across a network of refuges in Iberá. Multi-day rides with overnight…★ 5.0 - Irupé Excursiones
Guided hiking. Guided visit to museums, historic sites, chapels and trails of the town…★ 5.0 - Navegando Ituzaingó
Private sailboat rides on the Paraná with captain Mario: sunrise, morning and sunset…★ 5.0
Species profile
- Common nameUrutu Lancehead
- Scientific nameBothrops alternatus
- GroupReptile
- StatusNative
Other species of the Iberá
Discover all the wildlife of the Iberá
More than 250 species with photos, profiles and the gateways where you can see them. Map, providers and trip planner. Free, no download needed.
Open Iberá Experience