The bushmaster is among the few venomous snakes in the Americas whose sheer size can influence accounts of encounters, yet scientists describing the snake show impressive restraint in their accounts. The review literature identifies snakes of the genus Bushmaster as some of the largest venomous snakes in the Americas, although scientists resist claiming that this particular snake is the largest venomous snake anywhere on the planet.
This difference is notable because "largest," "longest," and "most dangerous" are terms frequently thrown around together when speaking about wildlife, even though the scientific literature clearly distinguishes among them. The truly distinctive aspect about the bushmaster is not simply its size but rather its length, venom, and inaccessible rainforest habitat.
