![]() ![]() They are terrestrial reptiles and ambush predators. They are often seen in dense forests and coffee plantations where they seek refuge under leaf litter or thick bushes. In India, they are found in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Goa and southern India. They are widely distributed in Sri Lanka and India. The Merrem’s Hump-nosed Pit Viper or the Hump-nosed Pit Viper is the most common pit viper species of the genus Hypnale. King Cobras are primarily snake eaters and Malabar Pit Vipers form a significant part of their diet.Īdd More Images Bamboo Pit Viper (Craspedocephalus gramineus) | Photograph: Ninad Vaidya Hump-nosed Pit Viper (Hypnale hypnale) IUCN Redlist Status: Unknown Like many other species of the Trimeresurus genus, Malabar Pit Vipers have prehensile tails that aid them in catching their prey.įun Fact: Malabar Pit Vipers are creatures of habit and frequent the same resting spot repeatedly. They prey on small birds, frogs and lizards. Malabar Pit Vipers display a range of colours from green, brown, orange, yellow to chocolate brown, enabling them to camouflage well in their surroundings. They inhabit evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, and the shola grasslands, where they can be found on rocks near streams. They are usually seen between altitudes of 20 feet. A metre longer than the average pit viper, these snakes set a new record for the reptile's length.Īdd More Images Large-scaled Pit Viper (Craspedocephalus macrolepis) | Photograph: Jithesh Pai Malabar Pit Viper (Craspedocephalus malabaricus) IUCN Redlist Status: Least ConcernĪnother pit viper species endemic to the Western Ghats, Malabar Pit Vipers are found in the hilly terrains of Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Maharashtra. Large-scaled Pit Vipers feed on rodents, frogs and birds.įun Fact: In 2008, researchers reported two unusually long Large-scaled Pit Vipers from the Theni district of Tamil Nadu. Linear intrusion also impacts their populations, and they frequently succumb as road kills. Listed as a Schedule IV species of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the near-threatened pit viper is greatly affected by tourism-related activities in its habitat. They are also commonly seen in tea, coffee and cardamom plantations. ![]() The species prefers to live in hilly forest patches and shola grasslands. ![]() Large-scaled Pit Vipers are endemic to the Western Ghats, where they are normally found in elevations between 20 feet to the south of Palakkad, at 6000 feet in the Anamalai Hills and at 4000 feet in the Palani Hills. Large-scaled Pit Viper (Craspedocephalus macrolepis) IUCN Redlist Status: Near Threatened Here are 11 species of pit vipers found in India. While researchers are doing their bit, we need to provide positive publicity for these charismatic reptiles. Taxonomy has to be resolved at the molecular level. There is still a lot we don't know about pit vipers, for example, many species of green pit vipers seen in northeast India and southeast Asia look similar and have overlapping range distributions. Being highly venomous, pit vipers are feared by humans and persecuted on sight, which remains one of their most severe threats. Loss of habitat is the primary threat facing these reptiles, as more and more forest cover continues to be converted for agricultural and urban purposes. It is believed that India is home to more than 28 species of pit vipers, restricted to the high rainfall areas of the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, the Northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Sensitive to infrared radiation, the organ allows these reptiles to detect and hunt warm-blooded prey even in complete darkness. The Crotalinae is a subfamily of venomous vipers, distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ in the middle of the head, between each nostril and eye. This green pit viper has a reddish-orange lateral stripe on the head besides some other subtle variations, which differentiates it from three other crotaline snakes with similar scales. Yup, Salazar as in Salazar Slytherin, the namesake of the infamous Slytherin House of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from J.K.Rowling's fantastical Harry Potter series. Discovered by a group of researchers on an expedition in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh in late 2019, the Salazar's Pit Viper (Trimeresurus salazar) is the latest addition to the long list of crotaline snakes or pit viper species found in India. ![]()
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