Pantanal Escapes

This is a short video shows a Mussurana snake (clelia clelia) preying on a venomous jararaca-pintada lancehead (bothrops neuwiedi) in the Paraguayan Chaco - located close to the Pantanal. The Mussurana is immune to the lancehead venom. Although it produces a mild venom of its own, it usually kills it prey through constriction. Because of its role reducing the number of venomous lanceheads, mussurana snakes are sometimes kept as pets around farms and plantations. Brazil's Instituto Butantan, who produce lancehead anti-venom credit the mussurana with having played a role in its development.