Description ²

INTRODUCTION

• Venomous Pit Viper
• Other names : Bamboo pit viper, Indian green pit viper, Common green pit viper
• Most widespread pit viper in India. Usually doesn't come in contact with humans.
• Bites are rare and are usually not fatal due to small size and low toxicity of venom.

IDENTIFICATION

• Triangular head much broader than neck, heat sensing pits between eyes and nostrils
• Green dorsal sometimes marked with faint black markings.
• Small weekly keeled scales, yellowish belly and vertical pupils.
• Very small snakes, grow to 2 feet on average.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

• Widespread throughout dense forests of peninsular India.
• Found in the Hilly regions of Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
• Prefer cool, thick vegetation near stream edges, bamboo and dense jungles.
• Hides among dense bushes and tree holes.

DIET AND BEHAVIOR

• Primarily feed on Frogs, Lizards and Rodents.
• Nocturnal and arboreal snakes who are ambush predators.
• Rely on camouflage and sleep in open during the day.
• Usually tries to escape and is non-offensive.
• When harassed with, they will try to bite and have fast strikes.

Fontes e Créditos

1. (c) Vinay Gogula, todos os direitos reservados, uploaded by Vinay Gogula
2. (c) Vinay Gogula, alguns direitos reservados (CC BY-SA)

Mais informações

• BioDiversity4All taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HerpMapper
• Snake Database
• The Reptile Database
• VertNet

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