Trimeresurus stejnegeri

Trimeresurus stejnegeri
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Trimeresurus
Species:	T. stejnegeri
Binomial name
	Trimeresurus stejnegeri; Schmidt, 1925
Synonyms
	Trimeresurus stejnegeri; Schmidt, 1925; Trimeresurus gramineus stejnegeri; — Stejneger, 1927; Trimeresurus gramineus formosensis; Maki, 1931; Trimeresurus gramineus kodairai; Maki, 1931; Trimeresurus stejnegeri stejnegeri; — Pope, 1935; Trimeresurus stejnegeri makii; Klemmer, 1963; Trimeresurus stejnegeri formosensis; — Welch, 1988; Trimeresurus stejnegeri kodairai; — Welch, 1988; Trimeresurus stejnegeri; — Cox et al., 1998; Viridovipera stejnegeri; — Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004; Trimeresurus (Viridovipera) stejnegeri; — David et al., 2011;

Last updated September 25, 2024

Trimeresurus stejnegeri is a species of venomous pit viper endemic to Asia. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, stejnegeri, is in honor of Leonhard Stejneger, the Norwegian-born, American herpetologist who worked at the Smithsonian Institution for over 60 years.^[6]

Description

Trimeresurus stejnegeri grows to a maximum total length of 75 centimetres (30 in), which includes a tail length of 14.5 centimetres (5.7 in). The males have hemipenes that are short and spinose beyond the bifurcation.^[7]

The dorsal scales are arranged in 21 longitudinal rows at midbody. There are 9–11 upper labials, of which the first are separated from nasal scales by a distinct suture. The supraoculars are single, narrow, and sometimes divided by a transverse suture. There are 11–16 scales in a line between the supraoculars. The ventrals number 150–174, and the subcaudals are 54–77. All of the subcaudals are paired.^[7]

The color pattern is bright to dark green above, pale green to whitish below, the two separated by a bright bicolored orange or brown (below) and white (above) (males) or bicolored or white only (females) ventrolateral stripe, which occupies the whole of the outermost scale row and a portion of the second row.^[7]

Bamboo vipers are carnivores: they eat small rodents, birds, frogs, and lizards.^{[ citation needed ]}

Yellow colored mutants have been reported.^[8]

Common names

Common names for T. stejnegeri include bamboo viper, Chinese tree viper,^[5] bamboo snake, Chinese green tree viper, Chinese bamboo viper, Stejneger's pit viper, Stejneger's palm viper, red tail snake,^[4] Stejneger's bamboo pitviper,^[9]

Geographic range

Trimeresurus stejnegeri is found in Northeast India) and Nepal through Myanmar and Laos to much of southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Anhui, Zhejiang), Vietnam, and Taiwan.^[1] The type locality was originally listed as "Shaowu, Fukien Province, China", and later emended to "N.W. Fukien Province" by Pope & Pope (1933) (Fukien being the former romanization of Fujian).^[3]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of T. stejnegeri is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft).^[1]

Venom

Trimeresurus stejnegeri has a potent hemotoxin. The wound usually feels extremely painful, as if it had been branded with a hot iron, and the pain does not subside until about 24 hours after being bitten. Within a few minutes of being bitten, the surrounding flesh dies and turns black, highlighting the puncture wounds. The wound site quickly swells, and the skin and muscle become black due to necrosis. The size of the necrotic area depends on the amount of venom injected and the depth of the bite.^{[ citation needed ]}

Reproduction

T. stejnegeri is viviparous.^[2]

Subspecies

Subspecies^[2]	Taxon author^[2]	Common name^[9]	Geographic range^[9]
T. s. chenbihuii	Zhao, 1997	Chen's pit viper	China, Hainan Island: on Mount Diaoluo at 225–290 m elevation (Lingshui County) and on Wuzhi Mountain at 500 m elevation (Qiongzhong County).
T. s. stejnegeri	Schmidt, 1925	Stejneger's pit viper	China (in eastern Sichuan, Guizhou, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong and Guangxi), Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Related Research Articles

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Ovophis monticola, commonly known as the Chinese mountain pit viper, is a venomous pitviper species found in Asia. Currently, two subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. Recent taxonomic work suggests that most of these should be considered as separate species. IUCN has already evaluated O. m. makazayazaya as Ovophis makazayazaya.

<i>Protobothrops jerdonii</i> Species of venomous snake

Protobothrops jerdonii, also known commonly as Jerdon's pitviper, the yellow-speckled pit viper, and the oriental pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to India, Nepal, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam. Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Protobothrops mucrosquamatus is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Asia. Common names include: brown-spotted pit viper, Taiwanese habu and pointed-scaled pit viper. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species was first described by Theodore Cantor in 1839.

Trimeresurus albolabris, the white-lipped pit viper or white-lipped tree viper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Southeast Asia.

Trimeresurus cantori, commonly known as Cantor's pit viper or Cantor's pitviper, is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the Subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. It was named after Theodore Edward Cantor (1809-1860), a Danish naturalist serving as a surgeon with the East India Company in Calcutta. No subspecies are recognized as being valid.

Trimeresurus erythrurus, commonly known as the red-tailed bamboo pitviper, redtail bamboo pit viper, and redtail pit viper is a venomous pit viper species found in South Asia and Myanmar. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Craspedocephalus gramineus, known as the bamboo pit viper, Indian green pit viper, or common green pit viper, is a venomous pit viper species found in the southern and north eastern parts of India. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Trimeresurus medoensis, commonly named the Motuo bamboo pitviper, is a venomous pitviper species endemic to India, Burma, and Tibet. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Trimeresurus popeiorum is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to northern and northeastern parts of India and Southeast Asia. Common names include: Pope's pit viper, Pope's green pit viper, Pope's tree viper and Pope's bamboo pitviper.

Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus is a venomous pit viper species native to India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. Common names include: mangrove pit viper, mangrove viper, and shore pit viper.

Trimeresurus septentrionalis, commonly known as the Nepal pit viper or northern white-lipped pit viper, is a venomous pit viper species found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India.

Craspedocephalus trigonocephalus, the Sri Lankan pit viper, Ceylon pit viper, Sri Lankan green pitviper or locally, pala polonga, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Sri Lanka. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Craspedocephalus brongersmai, also known commonly as Brongersma's pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to islands off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Trimeresurus hageni, commonly known as Hagen's pit viper and Hagen's green pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to Southeast Asia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

Trimeresurus tibetanus, also commonly known as the Tibetan bamboo pit viper and the Tibetan pit viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is found only in Tibet. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

Trimeresurus gracilis, commonly known as the Taiwan pit viper or Taiwan mountain pitviper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Taiwan. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species is known as kikushi habu in Japanese.

Gloydius intermedius, or Central Asian pit viper, is a venomous species of pitviper endemic to northern Asia. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Trimeresurus stejnegeri chenbihuii, commonly known as the Chen's bamboo pitviper, is a subspecies of venomous pitviper in the family Viperidae. The subspecies is endemic to Hainan Island in China.

References

1 2 3 Jiang, J.; Zhou, Z.; Lau, M.W.N.; Guo, P. (2012). "Trimeresurus stejnegeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T192136A2045355. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T192136A2045355.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
1 2 3 4 5 Trimeresurus stejnegeri at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 8 August 2020.
1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
1 2 U.S. Navy (1991). Poisonous Snakes of the World. New York: US Government / Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. ISBN 0-486-26629-X.
1 2 Mehrtens JM (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Trimeresurus stejnegeri, pp. 252-253).
1 2 3 Leviton AE, Wogan GOU, Koo MS, Zug GR, Lucas RS, Vindum JV (2003). "The Dangerously Venomous Snakes of Myanmar, Illustrated Checklist with Keys". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences54 (24): 407-462.
↑ Everington, Keoni (13 February 2023). "Rare mutant yellow Taiwan bamboo pit viper spotted on trail". taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
1 2 3 Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S (2004). Asian Pitvipers. First Edition. Berlin: Geitje Books. Berlin. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.