The name fer-de-lance has referred to Bothrops, a genus of large Central and South American pit vipers. Originally "fer-de-lance" referred to one species, Bothrops atrox, but currently, at the species level, most often refers to another, Bothrops asper. This is the one evidently responsible for the more dramatic species accounts, abstracted below.
Exceeding 8 feet in body length, the fer-de-lance is arguably the most dangerous venomous snake in the New World, on record killing more humans than any other. Contributing factors to this notoriety: size as it correlates with venom quantity, more specifically, how much may be injected; venom toxicity; fang length as it correlates with depth of envenomation and likelihood of large vessel puncture; it is a prolific breeder, very common in its range; at home in any terrestrial habitat including cultivated fields; cryptic coloration like a print of brown leaf litter; highly excitable, its bite is on a hair trigger.
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