The snake in this design is an eyelash pitviper (Bothriechis schlegelii), one of my favorite species. They live in rainforests of Central & South America and come in a variety of colors, two of which are depicted in this pattern. They are venomous (which not all snakes are) and they find prey using a different kind of eye (called a “pit”) that allows them to see infrared (heat).
The plant is one of a hundred or so Heliconia species also found in American rainforests. The modified, colorful leaves (called “bracts”) hide their flowers inside, where they are pollinated by the long beaks of hummingbirds.
