UPDATE: This article is pending confirmation from Zoo Ave biologists on the snake, which may be a lora venenosa, a venomous (and pretty) pit viper endemic to Costa Rica and Panama. The Bothriechis lateralis is not as dangerous as the Bothrops asper; still, Don Johnny’s story is commendable.

An amazing display of utmost respect for wildlife recently took place in Costa Rica. Officials from the Zoo Ave Wildlife Rescue Center in La Garita, province of Alajuela, report that a 54-year old farmer ask them to take a look at the deadly terciopelo (fer-de-lance) snake that had bitten him earlier because “she didn’t look good.” There is no indication that the serpent may have been a female; it’s just than in Spanish the word snake takes on a female gender.

Preliminary information on the incident indicates that the farmer goes by “Don Johnny,” with “Don” being an honorific title reserved for men in Costa Rica who are due respect. Don Johnny certainly commands respect: The fer-de-lance apparently bit him on his outer left hand, which required him to be rushed to a medical center for emergency treatment and anti-venom therapy. As he convalesced, however, he remembered that the snake did not look very healthy.

From his bed, Don Johnny requested that Zoo Ave be notified about the incident and that the snake be rescued from his farm. Zoo Ave officials complied, and the fer-de-lance is now in good hands. On Zoo Ave’s Facebook page, Don Johnny has gotten many compliments due to his respect for nature, and some women have even commented on his rugged good looks.

Green Season is Fer-de-Lance Season in Costa Rica

As previously reported by the Costa Rica Star, fer-de-lance encounters have been far more common in the rainy season. This is when these deadly snakes are most confused due to an overabundance of food (frogs, toads, rodents, etc.) and also due to the fact that juveniles may be hatching at the time. This species is not particularly bright and will strike at anything once it becomes confused.

Don Johnny’s story is in sharp contrast to that of Porfirio Gomez Quesada, a 76-year old family farmer who picked a fight with a fer-de-lance after the snake had killed three heads of his precious bovine livestock. Mr. Gomez suffered a bite in his ankle, but he also was able to hack the fer-de-lance to pieces with a machete. He even took what was left of the snake to the emergency room to display as a trophy.

The increasing fer-de-lance population in Costa Rica is a result of the country’s ongoing reforestation and nature conservation efforts, which in the end increases the density of wildlife.