Fer de lance (Bothrops asper)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 14059940

Project BRASS: Bites Reduced and Snakes Saved

Project BRASS: Bites Reduced and Snakes Saved is a project begun by Team Snake Panama that will distribute information to communities on identification of and co-existing with snakes. We will visit communities throughout Panama, especially those in the most rural areas, to deliver talks about snakes and snakebite prevention, donate a copy of our bilingual book, The Venomous Snakes and their Mimics of Panama and Costa, talk with local people about their fears and concerns, and participate in tour guided by residents to understand habits and distribution of snakes so snakebite prevention and treatment can be improved.

We will collect measurements and tissues of snakes we encounter to help us better understand each population. We also will gather data on how snakes affect the lives of the local residents, those who have suffered a bite, families who have lost a member to a bite, and those who live in fear. We also will work with children to begin to change the overall negative impressions of snakes.