Wednesday 30 March 2011

Cuaima, 80% of the time not lethal

The Lachesis muta is a venomous viper you can find in many areas of Venezuela, particularly  in the East and South. It can be up to 3 metres long and is, as Wikipedia says, "the longest venomous snake on the Western hemisphere". The good part is that it is 80% of the time it is not lethal for humans. There are more lethal snakes in Venezuela.


In Venezuela the most common name for this viper is cuaima, from Chaima, an extinct Carib language formerly spoken in the Northeast, in what is now Sucre, Monagas and part of Anzoátegui*. Cuaima is also a word Venezuelans use the word to refer to a very agressive, clever and cruel woman or just to talk about their beloved wives.

*there are some attempts to revitalise the language

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