Common names: Kanburi pitviper, Kanburian pit viper, tiger pit viper.

Trimeresurus kanburiensis is a 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...

 pitviper

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...

 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...

 found in only a few areas in 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...

. An arboreal, but heavily built species with a brown or tawny coloration. No subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 are currently recognized.

Description

Adults grow to more than 30 inches (76 cm) in length and are heavily built. The maximum length is unknown.

Scalation includes 19 rows of dorsal scales

Dorsal scales

In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...

 at midbody, 159 ventral scales

Ventral scales

In snakes, the ventral scales are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that contacts the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side...

, 42 subcaudal scales

Subcaudal scales

In snakes, the subcaudal scales are the enlarged plates on the underside of the tail. These scales may be either single or divided and are preceded by the anal scale....

 and 10 supralabial scales

Supralabial scales

In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. They do not include the median scale . The term labial originates from Labium , which refers to any lip-like structure...

, the third being the largest.

The color pattern varies from brown with faint patterning to tawny with dull brown blotches and spots along with a ventrolateral stripe.

This species, especially the population in the south and formerly referred to as T. venustus and recently shown to be a separate species, has often been confused with the mangrove pitviper, 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:...

. However, the two are easily distinguished by the first three supralabial scales

Supralabial scales

In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. They do not include the median scale . The term labial originates from Labium , which refers to any lip-like structure...

, which are much enlarged in T. kanburiensis.

Geographic range

Found in 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...

. The type locality given is "limestone hills near Kanburi, south-western Siam" (= Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi ) is a town in the west of Thailand and the capital of Kanchanaburi province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327...

, Kanchanaburi Province

Kanchanaburi Province

- History :Archaeology found in Kanchanaburi dates back to the 4th century which proves of trade with surrounding countries even in that time. Very little is also historically known about the actual Khmer influence in Kanchanaburi but there is evidence of their occupation with Prasat Muang Singh –...

, Thailand). Listed as "S.W. China" in the catalogue of the British Museum of Natural History.

Known only from two other areas near the type locality, as well as from the type locality given in Vogel (1991) for T. venustus, which is "Thung Song

Amphoe Thung Song

Thung Song is a district in the southwestern part of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Bang Khan, Thung Yai, Na Bon, Chang Klang, Lan Saka, Ron Phibun, Chulabhorn, Cha-uat of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Huai Yot and Ratsada of Trang...

, Provinz Nakhon Si Thammarat

Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Nakhon Si Thammarat is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, at the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand...

, Süd-Thailand."

Behavior

Arboreal and nocturnal, although they have been reported basking during daylight hours. Retreats to seek shelter in the foliage during the heat of the day.

Feeding

The diet consists of mammals and birds. Juveniles probably also feed on frogs and lizards.

Taxonomy

A review of this taxon by Warrell et al. (1992) found that the only difference between T. kanburiensis and T. venustus was in the number of midbody dorsal scale: 19 vs. 21 respectively. Based on this, they doubted that these were different species.
However, Vogel et al. 1991 has shown that they are indeed different species where kaburiensis is found in northern Thailand while venustus is found in the southern regions of Thailand and northern Malaysia.