Terciopelos

I was living in the jungle of Costa Rica at the time, working with an organization that works with the Costa Rican government to provide carbon credits to those that maintain rainforest.

We were replanting trees with some local Ticos, so I was cutting down banana trees in an old plantation when a guy ahead of me on the planting line yells that he found a terciopelo.

Terciopelos, or fer-de-lances (Bothrops asper), are a really nasty pit-viper. Really bad venom, and the nearest hospital was about 4 hours away by dirt road.

As I cut down a banana tree to get to the guy to check it out, I lift up the heft of the tree and see my own terciopelo ready to strike. I took my machete already in my hand chopped the viper up as quickly as I could.

I felt bad about it, but it was me or the snake, unfortunately.

The machete still has a little rust on it from where the snake blood dried during the day.