Trimeresurus
Encyclopedia
Trimeresurus is a genus
of venomous
pitvipers
found in Asia
from Pakistan
, through India
, China
, throughout Southeast Asia
and the Pacific Islands
. Currently 35 species
are recognized. Common names include Asian pit vipers, Asian lanceheads and Asian lance-headed vipers.
tails. They are typically green in color, but some species also have yellow, black, orange or red markings.
s of a "Two step viper" have been created around this genus suggesting that a certain species has the toxicity to kill a person within seconds, a reasonable explanation however is that there is a possibility of major allergic reaction to toxins which might have been misconceived as a deadly new species' venom.
from India
to southern China
and Japan
, and the Malay Archipelago
to Timor
.
T) Type species
.
The genus Trimeresurus sensu lato has been the subject of considerable taxonomic work since 2000, resulting in the recognition of additional genera within this complex. Most authors now recognise the genus Protobothrops for the species cornutus, flavoviridis, jerdonii, kaulbacki, mucrosquamatus, tokarensis, xiangchengensis, since these have been shown not to be closely related to other Trimeresurus in recent phylogenetic analyses.
Malhotra and Thorpe (2004) proposed a radical shake up of the entire genus, splitting Trimeresurus into seven genera. Their proposed arrangement (including species described since 2004) is shown in the table below:
This new arrangement has been followed by many, but not all subsequent authors.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of venomous
Venomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
pitvipers
Crotalinae
The Crotalinae, commonly known as "pit vipers" or crotaline snakes, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Asia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on either side of the head...
found in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
from Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, through India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, throughout Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and the Pacific Islands
Pacific Islands
The Pacific Islands comprise 20,000 to 30,000 islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands are also sometimes collectively called Oceania, although Oceania is sometimes defined as also including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago....
. Currently 35 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are recognized. Common names include Asian pit vipers, Asian lanceheads and Asian lance-headed vipers.
Description
Most are relatively small, primarily arboreal species, with thin bodies and prehensilePrehensility
Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term prehendere, meaning "to grasp."-Examples:Appendages that can become prehensile include:...
tails. They are typically green in color, but some species also have yellow, black, orange or red markings.
Feeding
Their diet includes a variety of other animals, including rodents, lizards, amphibians and birds.Venom
Their venom varies between species in toxicity, but all are primarily hemotoxic and considered to be medically significant to humans. Urban legendUrban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
s of a "Two step viper" have been created around this genus suggesting that a certain species has the toxicity to kill a person within seconds, a reasonable explanation however is that there is a possibility of major allergic reaction to toxins which might have been misconceived as a deadly new species' venom.
Geographic range
Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to southern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and the Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
to Timor
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres...
.
Species
| Species | Taxon author | Subsp.* | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T. albolabris Trimeresurus albolabris Trimeresurus albolabris is a venomous pitviper species found in Southeast Asia. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate race described here.-Description:... |
Gray John Edward Gray John Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray .... , 1842 |
2 | White-lipped pitviper | India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... (Assam Assam Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country... ), Nicobar Islands Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean... , Myanmar Myanmar Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south.... , Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... , Cambodia Cambodia Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia... , Laos Laos Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west... , Vietnam Vietnam Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –... , southern China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... (Fukien Fujian ' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait... , Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name... , Kwangsi, Kwangtung), Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... , West Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra... , Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... (Sumatra Sumatra Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538... , Borneo Borneo Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia.... , Sulawesi Sulawesi Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to... , Java Java Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java... , Madoera Madura Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island comprises an area of approximately 4,250 km². Madura is administered as part of the East Java province. It is separated from Java by the narrow Strait of Madura.-History:... , Lombok Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east... , Sumbawa Sumbawa Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. It is in the province of West Nusa Tenggara.... , Komodo Komodo (island) Komodo is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia. The island has a surface area of 390 km² and over 2000 inhabitants. The inhabitants of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed themselves with the Bugis from... , Flores Flores Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa... , Sumba Sumba Sumba is an island in eastern Indonesia, is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of 11,153 km², and the population was officially at 611,422 in 2005... , Roti Roti Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and... , Timor Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea. It is divided between the independent state of East Timor, and West Timor, belonging to the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. The island's surface is 30,777 square kilometres... , Kisar Kisar Kisar, also known as Yotowawa, is a small island in the Southwestern Moluccas in Indonesia.-Description:It is located to the northeast of Timor Island in an area of great tectonic activity.... , Wetar Wetar The tropical island of Wetar belongs to the Indonesian province of Maluku and is the largest island of the Barat Daya Islands . It lies east of the Lesser Sunda Islands, which include nearby Alor and Timor, but it is politically part of the Maluku Islands... ). |
| T. borneensis Trimeresurus borneensis Trimeresurus borneensis is a venomous pitviper species found in Indonesia on the island of Borneo. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
(Peters Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens... , 1872) |
0 | Bornean pitviper | Indonesia: Borneo. |
| T. brongersmai Trimeresurus brongersmai Trimeresurus brongersmai is a venomous pitviper species found in Indonesia on the island of Simalur. The specific name, brongersmai, is in honor of Dutch herpetologist Leo Brongersma... |
Hoge, 1969 | 0 | Brongersma's pitviper | Indonesia: Simalur Island. |
| T. cantori Trimeresurus cantori Trimeresurus cantori is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. It was named after Theodore Edward Cantor , a Danish naturalist serving as a surgeon with the East India Company in Calcutta... |
(Blyth Edward Blyth Edward Blyth was an English zoologist and pharmacist. He was one of the founders of zoology in India.... , 1846) |
0 | Cantor's pitviper | India: Nicobar Islands Nicobar Islands The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean... , and possibly the Andaman Islands Andaman Islands The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east... . |
| T. cornutus Trimeresurus cornutus Trimeresurus cornutus is a venomous pitviper species found in Vietnam. Previously, it was known from only two specimens, but was recently rediscovered in the central part of the country. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:... |
M.A. Smith Malcolm Arthur Smith Malcolm Arthur Smith was a herpetologist and physician working in the Malay Peninsula.-Early life:He was interested in reptiles and amphibians from an early age... , 1930 |
0 | Fan-Si-Pan horned pitviper | Vietnam: Bach Ma Bach Ma National Park Bach Ma National Park is a protected area in central Vietnam, near the city of Hué. It covers 220 km² and comprises three zones: a strictly protected core area, an administrative area and a buffer zone.... and Tonkin Tonkin Tonkin , also spelled Tongkin, Tonquin or Tongking, is the northernmost part of Vietnam, south of China's Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces, east of northern Laos, and west of the Gulf of Tonkin. Locally, it is known as Bắc Kỳ, meaning "Northern Region"... . Occurs in rainforests at low elevations. Also in central Vietnam. |
| T. elegans Trimeresurus elegans Trimeresurus elegans is a venomous pitviper species found in Japan in the southern Ryukyu Islands. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species is aggressive with large fangs... |
(Gray, 1849) | 0 | Elegant pitviper | Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... : southern Ryukyu Islands Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin... . |
| T. erythrurus Trimeresurus erythrurus Trimeresurus erythrurus is a venomous pitviper species found in India, Bangladesh and Burma. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Males grow to a maximum size 575 mm, of which the tail is 120 mm in length... |
(Cantor Theodore Edward Cantor Theodore Edward Cantor was a Danish physician, zoologist and botanist.Cantor worked for the British East India Company. He made natural history collections in Penang and Malacca... , 1839) |
0 | Red-tailed bamboo pitviper | India (Assam and Sikkim Sikkim Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains... ), Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... and Myanmar. |
| T. fasciatus Trimeresurus fasciatus Trimeresurus fasciatus is a venomous pitviper species endemic to Djampea Island Indonesia. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
(Boulenger George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:... , 1896) |
0 | Banded pitviper | Indonesia: Djampea Island. |
| T. flavomaculatus Trimeresurus flavomaculatus Trimeresurus flavomaculatus is a venomous pitviper species found in the Philippines. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:... |
(Gray, 1842) | 2 | Philippine pitviper | Philippine Islands Philippines The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam... : Agutayan, Batan Batan Batan may refer to the following places:* Batan, Aklan, a municipality in the Philippines* Batan Island, the main island of the province of Batanes, the Philippines* Batan Island, Albay, in Rapu-rapu, Albay, the Philippines... , Camiguin Camiguin Camiguin is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about off the northern coast of Misamis Oriental in Mindanao. It is the second-smallest province both in population and land area after Batanes... , Catanduanes Catanduanes Catanduanes is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in Luzon. Its capital is Virac and the province lies to the east of Camarines Sur across Maqueda Channel. As of 2007, the population of the province is 232,757 people.-Etymology:"Isla de Cobos" was Catanduanes' first... , Dinagat, Jolo Jolo Jolo may refer to:* Jolo Island* Jolo, Sulu* Jolo, West Virginia* Jolo is also the nickname of Swedish author Jan Olof Olsson.... , Leyte Leyte Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran... , Luzon Luzon Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon... , Mindanao Mindanao Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The... , Mindoro Mindoro Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:... , Negros and Polillo Polillo Polilio may refer to:* Polillo Islands, an island group in Quezon Province, the Philippines** Polillo Island, the main island of the Polillo Island Group*** Polillo, Quezon, a municipality on the island... . |
| T. flavoviridis Trimeresurus flavoviridis Trimeresurus flavoviridis is a venomous pitviper species found in Japan in the Ryukyu Islands. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
(Hallowell, 1861) | 0 | Habu | Japan: Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa and Amami Islands Amami Islands The are a group of islands that is part of the Satsunan Islands, which are then part of the Nansei Islands. The islands are part of Kagoshima Prefecture, in the Kyūshū region of Japan... ). |
| T. gracilis Trimeresurus gracilis Trimeresurus gracilis is a venomous pitviper species found in only in Taiwan. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Scalation includes 19 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 144/149 ventral scales, 43-53 subcaudal scales and 7-8 supralabial scales.-Geographic range:Found only in... |
Oshima Oshima -Places: :** Nii Ōshima Island, part of Niihama in Ehime Prefecture** Ōshima, Ehime, an island connected by the Hakata-Ōshima Bridge and the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge... , 1920 |
0 | Kikushi habu | Central Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... . |
| T. gramineus Trimeresurus gramineus Trimeresurus gramineus is a venomous pitviper species found only in southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... T |
(Shaw George Shaw George Shaw was an English botanist and zoologist.Shaw was born at Bierton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, receiving his M.A. in 1772. He took up the profession of medical practitioner. In 1786 he became the assistant lecturer in botany at Oxford University... , 1802) |
0 | Bamboo pitviper | Southern India. |
| T. hageni Trimeresurus hageni Trimeresurus hageni is a venomous pitviper species found in Southeast Asia. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Scalation includes 21 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 76–98 ventral scales, 63–89 subcaudal scales, and 9–12 supralabial scales.-Geographic range:This species is found... |
(Lidth de Jeude, 1886) | 0 | Hagen's pitviper | Peninsular Thailand Southern Thailand Southern Thailand is a distinct region of Thailand, connected with the Central region by the narrow Kra Isthmus.-Geography:Southern Thailand is located on the Malay Peninsula, with an area around 70,713 km², bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus as the narrowest part of the peninsula. The... , West Malaysia, Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... and Indonesia (Sumatra and the nearby islands of Bangka Bangka Island Bangka is an island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia. Population 626,955. Area: c.4,600 sq mi .There is an additional small island named Pulau Bangka in northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.-Geography:... , Simalur, Nias Nias Nīas is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago, containing the Hinako archipelago.... , Batu Batu Islands The Batu Islands are an archipelago of Indonesia located in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra, between Nias and Siberut. The three primary islands, of approximately equal size, are Pini, Tanahmasa, and Tanahbala. There are forty-eight smaller islands, of which less than half are... and the Mentawai Islands Mentawai Islands The Mentawai Islands are a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Siberut is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai . The islands lie approximately 150 km off the Sumatran coast, across the... . |
| T. jerdonii | Günther Albert C. L. G. Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther , was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist.... , 1875 |
2 | Jerdon's pitviper | India (Assam) through northern Myanmar to Tibet Tibet Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people... , China (Hupeh, Szechwan and Yunnan Yunnan Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with... ) and Vietnam. |
| T. kanburiensis Trimeresurus kanburiensis Trimeresurus kanburiensis is a venomous pitviper species found in only a few areas in Thailand. An arboreal, but heavily built species with a brown or tawny coloration. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
M.A. Smith, 1943 | 0 | Kanburi pitviper | Thailand. |
| T. karanshahi Trimeresurus karanshahi Trimeresurus karanshahi is a venomous pitviper species described from central Nepal in the Himalayas. No subspecies are currently recognized.... |
Orlov & Helfenberger, 1997 | 0 | Central Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India... in the Himalayas Himalayas The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau... . |
|
| T. kaulbacki Trimeresurus kaulbacki Trimeresurus kaulbacki is a venomous pitviper species found only in Burma. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Scalation includes 25 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 201-212 ventral scales, 66-78 subcaudal scales and 8 supralabial scales of which the third is the... |
M.A. Smith, 1940 | 0 | Kaulback's lance-headed pitviper | Myanmar. |
| T. labialis Trimeresurus labialis Trimeresurus labialis is a venomous pitviper species endemic to the Nicobar Islands of India. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:Found only in the Nicobar Islands of India. The type locality given is "den Nikobaren."... |
Steindachner Franz Steindachner Franz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess... , 1867 |
0 | Nicobar bamboo pitviper | India: Nicobar Islands. |
| T. macrolepis Trimeresurus macrolepis Trimeresurus macrolepis is a venomous pitviper species found in the mountains of southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:... |
Beddome, 1862 | 0 | Large-scaled pitviper | The mountains of southern India. |
| T. macrops Trimeresurus macrops Trimeresurus macrops is a venomous pitviper species found in Southeast Asia. No subspecies are currently recognized. Common names include large-eyed pitviper and green pit viper.-Description:... |
Kramer, 1977 | 0 | Large-eyed pitviper | Thailand, Cambodia and southern Vietnam. |
| T. malabaricus Trimeresurus malabaricus Trimeresurus malabaricus is a venomous pitviper species found in southwestern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
(Jerdon Thomas C. Jerdon Thomas Caverhill Jerdon was a British physician, zoologist and botanist. He is best remembered for his pioneering works on the ornithology of India... , 1854) |
0 | Malabar rock pitviper | Southern and western India at 600-2,000 m elevation. |
| T. mangshanensis | Zhao, 1990 | 0 | Mangshan pitviper | China: Hunan Province Hunan ' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting... . |
| T. maolanensis | Yang, Orlov & Wang, 2011 | 0 | China: Guizhou | |
| T. medoensis Trimeresurus medoensis Trimeresurus medoensis is a venomous pitviper species found in India, Burma and Xizang , China. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
Zhao, 1977 | 0 | Motuo bamboo pitviper | Northern India, northern Myanmar and China (southeastern Xizang Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965.... ). |
| T. mucrosquamatus | (Cantor, 1839) | 0 | Brown spotted pitviper | India (Assam) and Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south... to Myanmar, China (Fukien, Kwangshi, Kwantung and Szechwan Sichuan ' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu... ) and Taiwan. |
| T. phuketensis | Sumontha, Kunya, S.G. Pauwels, Nitikul & Punnadee, 2011 | 0 | Phuket pitviper | Thailand: Phuket Island. |
| T. popeorum | M.A. Smith, 1937 | 2 | Pope's bamboo pitviper | Northern India, Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia (Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands of Siberut Siberut Siberut is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, lying 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993... , Sipora and North Pagai North Pagai North Pagai is one of the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. It is south of Sipura and north of South Pagai Island.... , and on the island of Borneo). |
| T. puniceus Trimeresurus puniceus Trimeresurus puniceus is a venomous pitviper species found in Southeast Asia. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Scalation includes 21-23 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 158-173 ventral scales, 41-56 subcaudal scales and 10-13 supralabial scales.-Common names:Flat-nosed pitviper,... |
(Kuhl Heinrich Kuhl Heinrich Kuhl was a German naturalist and zoologist.Kuhl was born in Hanau. He became assistant to Coenraad Jacob Temminck at the Leiden museum. In 1817 he published a monograph on bats and in 1819 he published Conspectus psittacorum... , 1824) |
0 | Flat-nosed pitviper | Southern Thailand, West and East Malaysia East Malaysia East Malaysia, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia located on the island of Borneo. It consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and the Federal Territory of Labuan. It lies to the east from Peninsular Malaysia , which is located on the Malay Peninsula. The two are... (Sabah Sabah Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south... and Sarawak Sarawak Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which... ) and Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands of Siberut and North Pagai, Simalur and Java. |
| T. purpureomaculatus Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus is a venomous pitviper species found in parts of India and Southeast Asia. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:... |
(Gray, 1832) | 1 | Mangrove pit viper | India (Assam and the Andaman Islands), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (Sumatra). |
| T. schultzei Trimeresurus schultzei Trimeresurus schultzei is a venomous pitviper species found in the Philippines. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Scalation includes 21 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 185-194/192-203 ventral scales in males/females, 67-78/66-75 subcaudal scales in males/females and 9-11... |
Griffin, 1909 | 0 | Schultze's pitviper | Philippines: Palawan Palawan Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the... and Balabac. |
| T. stejnegeri Trimeresurus stejnegeri Trimeresurus stejnegeri is a venomous pitviper species found in India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, China and Taiwan. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.-Description:... |
Schmidt, 1925 | 2 | Stejneger's bamboo pitviper | India (Assam), and Nepal Nepal Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India... through Myanmar and Thailand to China (Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Hainan Hainan Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name... , Fukien, Chekiang, Yunnan) and Taiwan. |
| T. strigatus Trimeresurus strigatus Trimeresurus strigatus is a venomous pitviper species found in southern India. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:Found in the hills of southern India. The type locality listed is "Cape of Good Hope?" and "Madras?"... |
Gray, 1842 | 0 | Horseshoe pitviper | The hills of southern India. |
| T. sumatranus Trimeresurus sumatranus Trimeresurus sumatranus is a venomous pitviper species found in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Arboreal, its coloration is pale green with a red tail... |
(Raffles, 1822) | 1 | Sumatran pitviper | Southern Thailand, West and East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo) and Indonesia (Bangka, Billiton, Borneo, Sumatra and the nearby islands of Simalur, Nias, and possibly the Mentawai Islands [Sipora]). |
| T. tibetanus Trimeresurus tibetanus Trimeresurus tibetanus is a venomous pitviper species found only in Tibet. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Scalation includes 21 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 147-152/145-159 ventral scales in males/females, 46-54/40-48 subcaudal scales in males/females and 7-9 supralabial... |
Huang, 1982 | 0 | Tibetan bamboo pitviper | China: Xiang (Tibet) Autonomous Region. |
| T. tokarensis Trimeresurus tokarensis Trimeresurus tokarensis is a venomous pitviper species found in the Tokara Islands of Japan. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:... |
Nagai, 1928 | 0 | Tokara habu | Japan: Takarajima Takarajima , literally "treasure island", is one of the Tokara Islands, belonging to Kagoshima Prefecture. Population: 116. Area: 7.14 km².... and Kotakarajima. |
| T. trigonocephalus Trimeresurus trigonocephalus Trimeresurus trigonocephalus is a venomous pitviper species found in Sri Lanka. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:A sexually dimorphic species, at a maximum of 70 cm in length the males are considerably smaller than females, which can grow to 130 cm. In addition, male tends to... |
(Donndorff, 1798) | 0 | Sri Lankan green pitviper | Throughout Sri Lanka from low elevations to about 1,800 m. |
| T. xiangchengensis Trimeresurus xiangchengensis Trimeresurus xiangchengensis is a venomous pitviper species found in south-central China. No subspecies are currently recognized. But note there is a genetic proposal to reassign this species as Protobothrops xiangchengensis as a "phylogeny of four mitochondrial gene regions suggests a revised... |
Zhao, Jiang & Huang, 1978 | 0 | Kham Plateau pitviper | China: Yunnan and western Sichuan. |
- ) Not including the nominate subspecies.
T) Type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
.
Taxonomy
Species that may be recognized by other sources include:- T. andersonii - Theobald (1868). Commonly called Anderson's pit viper, found in the Andaman IslandsAndaman IslandsThe Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
of IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. - T. barati - Regenass & Kramer (1981). Commonly called Barat's bamboo viper, found in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - T. fucatus - Vogel, David & Pauwels (2004). Commonly called the Siamese peninsula pit viper and found in southern ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, MyanmarMyanmarBurma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Malaysia. - T. gumprechtiTrimeresurus gumprechtiTrimeresurus gumprechti is a venomous pitviper found in parts of China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.It was classified in 2002 by*Dr. Patrick David of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle...
- David, Vogel, Pauwels & Vidal (2002). Commonly called Gumprecht's green pit viper and found in northeastern Thailand, LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Myanmar. - T. insularis - Kramer (1977). Commonly called the white-lipped island pit viper and found in IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. - T. malcolmi - Loveridge (1938). Commonly called Malcolm's pit viper and found on BorneoBorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
(Indonesia). - T. nebularis - Vogel, David & Pauwels (2004). Commonly called the Cameron Highlands pit viper and found in West Malaysia (Cameron HighlandsCameron HighlandsThe Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. It covers an area of .To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak....
). - T. sabahi - Regenass & Kramer (1981). Commonly called Sabah's bamboo viper and found on Borneo, Indonesia.
- T. truongsonensis - Orlov, Ryabov, Thanh & Cuc (2004). Found in central Vietnam.
- T. venustus - Vogel (1991). Commonly called the beautiful pit viper and found in southern Thailand.
- T. vogeli - David, Vidal & Pauwels (2001). Commonly called Vogel's pit viper and found in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
The genus Trimeresurus sensu lato has been the subject of considerable taxonomic work since 2000, resulting in the recognition of additional genera within this complex. Most authors now recognise the genus Protobothrops for the species cornutus, flavoviridis, jerdonii, kaulbacki, mucrosquamatus, tokarensis, xiangchengensis, since these have been shown not to be closely related to other Trimeresurus in recent phylogenetic analyses.
Malhotra and Thorpe (2004) proposed a radical shake up of the entire genus, splitting Trimeresurus into seven genera. Their proposed arrangement (including species described since 2004) is shown in the table below:
| Genus | Species included |
|---|---|
| Trimeresurus | andalasensis, borneensis, brongersmai, gramineus, malabaricus, puniceus, strigatus, trigonocephalus, wiroti |
| Cryptelytrops | albolabris, andersonii, cantori, erythrurus, fasciatus, honsonensis (Hon Son Pit Viper), insularis, kanburiensis, labialis, macrops, purpureomaculatus, septentrionalis, venustus |
| Himalayophis | tibetanus |
| Parias | flavomaculatus, hageni, malcolmi, mcgregori, schultzei, sumatranus |
| Peltopelor | macrolepis |
| Popeia | barati, buniana, fucata, nebularis, popeiorum, sabahi |
| Viridovipera | gumprechti, medoensis, stejnegeri, truongsonensis, vogeli, yunnanensis |
This new arrangement has been followed by many, but not all subsequent authors.
External links
- Trimeresurus at Herpbreeder.com. Accessed 26 September 2006.