Black-headed Bushmaster

Adults of L. melanocephala frequently grow to 1.9–2 m (6.2–6.6 ft) in total length (including tail). The largest reported specimens were 2.3 m (7.5 ft) by Solórzano (2004), and 2.4 m (7.9 ft) by Ripa (2001). The top of the head is uniform black in color, to which the specific name, melanocephala, and common name refer.

L. melanocephala is found in Costa Rica on the Pacific versant of southeastern Puntarenas province from near sea level to about 1500 m (about 4,900 feet). It is also found in Finca Hartmann in Panama's Chiriqui Province. The type locality given is "tropical rainforest 9 km northern of Ciudad Neily in southeastern Provincia de Puntarenas, Costa Rica." Campbell and Lamar (2004) describe its range as southwestern Costa Rica and possibly extreme western Panama, but state that almost all locality records are from Puntarenas province. Savage (2002) and Dwyer & Perez (2009) confirmed its existence in Panama.

L. melanocephala is oviparous. In captivity, females typically lay clutches of 5-19 eggs in a burrow where the eggs will incubate for 60-80 days. Dean Ripa, who survived four envenomations from bushmaster snakes, was the first person to breed the black-headed bushmaster (L. melanocephala) in captivity, of which were supplied to zoos and research institutions internationally.