The bushmaster snake can be found in tropical forest in South and Central America - from Southern parts of Nicaragua through Brazil and Bolivia. In Brazil the bushmaster is called jararacucu. The bushmaster is not an aggressive snake but it will defend both itself and its eggs if disturbed or threatened.

The bushmaster snake is perhaps most efficient as a nocturnal predator. It feeds on variety of other animals such as rodents, frogs, insects and birds.

Bushmasters typical reach a length of 6 feet (2 meters). Larger specimens can reach a length of 10-12 feet, but that is very uncommon. It is however the longest pit-viper. It is a very sturdy tough snake with a broad head and thick body. Its coloration is made up of yellow, red and brown colours with a lot of irregularities and scales all over its body.

The bushmaster snake is capable of multiple bite strikes and injecting large amounts of venom. Even the bite of a juvenile specimen can be fatal. It is a venomous snake and can cause death - but in most cases victims only experiences severe pain, vomiting, nausea, chills etc. The bushmaster's bite can be fatal for humans, causing massive internal bleeding and tissue necrosis (death of cells). Even treated, the mortality rate is 80%.