Wildlifeof India
Trimeresurus salazar
Vipers
Photo: Mirza ZA, Bhosale HS, Phansalkar PU, Sawant M, Gowande GG, Patel H (2020) A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Zoosystematics and Evolution 96(1): 123-138. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.96.48431 · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Trimeresurus salazar
Basic stats
Habitat
Shrubs, observed coiled at night
Range
North-eastern India: first found in the lowlands of western Arunachal Pradesh; the Reptile Database also lists Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura
Size
Total length 363–415mm
Salazar's pit viper is a venomous green pit viper first discovered in 2019 in the lowlands of the western part of Arunachal Pradesh, the fifth new reptile species discovered in the region that year. It has a long, thin body reaching 363 to 415 mm, with a triangular, elongated head clearly distinct from the neck, a dark green head and yellowish-green back (Wikipedia, general species account).
The sexes differ: males have reddish-orange and yellow-orange stripes and a rusty red-orange tail that females lack. It is nocturnal and has been observed coiled on shrubs at night. Pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus eat lizards, amphibians, birds, rodents and other small mammals. Its habitat is under threat from human development.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Trimeresurus salazar live in?
- Shrubs, observed coiled at night
- Where is the Trimeresurus salazar found?
- North-eastern India: first found in the lowlands of western Arunachal Pradesh; the Reptile Database also lists Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura
- How big is the Trimeresurus salazar?
- Total length 363–415mm