Updated January 2, 2013
First Posted December 26, 2012
Since so many snakes are pictured in Maya stelae, murals, ceramics, and mentioned in Maya myths it is helpful to have good photographic references for iconographers and epigraphers.
Bothriechis bicolor, this is one of the most poisonous species we took that day. We have to be very careful and be with a trained person, because the photos are taken within inches of the snake, photographed by Sofía Monzón.
Because of errors in identification of snake species, and confusion between dentition of reptiles and centipede pinchers, we are doing deeper research in reptiles and centipedes.
With the assistance of herpetologist Thomas Schrei we spent another day doing close-up photography of live venomous snakes in Guatemala City. We do this photography in a studio with soft (digital fluorescent) lighting to bring out the detail.
