Trimeresurus sumatranus is a species of venomous pitviper (a subfamily of vipers within the larger Viperidae family) found in the tropical forests of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Arboreal by nature, its coloration is pale to neon-green, with some black vertical markings, and a red-tipped tail. As with other vipers, this species has prominent, “keeled” scales, which appear somewhat raised and give the snake a rough-textured appearance. Common names include Sumatran pitviper, Sumatran tree viper, and Sumatran pit viper.

Trimeresurus sumatranus – Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary

Description

Trimeresurus sumatranus is a large heavy-bodied pitviper, with a prehensile tail. Adults may attain 1.6 m ftin SVL (snout–vent length), with fangs over 10 mm (⅜ inch) long.

It is an arboreal species that is pale green in color with a red tail. The dorsal scales are edged with black, which may form crossbands in more mature specimens. There is a white or yellow stripe on each side along the first row of dorsal scales. Ventrally it is greenish or yellowish, and the ventral scales may be thinly edged with black.

Scalation includes 21 (23) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 183–190/182–191 ventral scales in males/females, 57–66/55–64 subcaudal scales in males/females, and 8–10 supralabial scales.

Habitat

In Borneo it inhabits lowland forests at elevations below 800 m sp=us.

Behavior

It is nocturnal, climbing onto low branches to hunt its prey.

Diet

The diet consists mainly of arboreal small mammals, birds, and tree frogs.

Geographic range

Found in 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 ). The type locality given is “Sumatra.”

According to Gumprecht et al. (2004), the records regarding its occurrence in the Mentawai Islands are probably based on T. hageni.

Trimeresurus sumatranus – Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary

Venom

Because it is a large snake with large fangs, Trimeresurus sumatranus can inject large quantities of venom. Fatalities from its bite have been reported, and it should be considered extremely dangerous.

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Scientific classification

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Suborder

Serpentes

Family

Viperidae

Genus

Trimeresurus

Species

Trimeresurus sumatranus

Common names

• German: Sumatra-Bambusotter
• English:
  • Sumatran pit viper
  • Sumatran tree viper
  • Malcolm’s pitviper
• Thai: งูเขียวหางไหม้สุมาตรา, ngu khieow hang mai Sumatra

Subspecies

• Trimeresurus sumatranus malcolmi, Arthur Loveridge, 1938

  Common name: Malcolm’s pitviper

  Range: East Malaysia at 1, 000-1, 600 m elevation (3, 280-5, 250 feet).

• Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus, Thomas Stamford Raffles, 1822

  Common name: Sumatran pitviper

  Range: Thailand (Pattani Province and Betong in Yala Province), West Malaysia, East Malaysia (Borneo), Indonesia (Kalimantan, Sumatra, Simalur, Nias, the Mentawai Islands [Sipora, Bangka and Billiton).

Synonyms

• Trimeresurus (Parias) sumatranus, Zeeshan A. Mirza et al. (2023)
• Parias sumatranus, Peng Guo et al. (2018)
• Parias sumatranus, Tanya Chan-Ard et al. (2015)
• Parias sumatranus, Van Stanley Bartholomew Wallach et al. (2014)
• Trimeresurus (Parias) sumatranus, Patrick David et al. (2011)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus, Andreas Gumprecht et al. (2004)
• Parias sumatranus, Anita Malhotra & Roger Stephen Thorpe (2004)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus, Roy W. McDiarmid, Jonathan A. Campbell & T’Shaka A. Touré (1999)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus, Kenneth R. G. Welch (1994)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus, Philippe Golay et al. (1993)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus, Arthur Loveridge (1938)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus, Malcolm Arthur Smith (1922)
• Lachesis sumatranus, Nelly de Rooij (1917)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus, Thomas Barbour (1912)
• Lachesis sumatranus, George Albert Boulenger (1896)
• Bothrops sumatranus, Theodorus Willem van Lidth de Jeude (1886)
• Trimeresurus formosus, George Albert Boulenger (1885)
• Bothrops sumatranus, Theodorus Willem van Lidth de Jeude (1866)
• Bothrops formosus, Giorgio Jan (1863)
• Bothrops formosus, Pieter Bleeker (1858)
• Trimeresurus formosus, John Edward Gray (1849)
• Trigonocephalus sumatranus, Theodore Edward Cantor (1847)
• Trigonocephalus formosus, Johannes Peter Müller & Hermann Schlegel In Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1845)
• Trimesurus sumatranus, John Edward Gray (1842)
• Trimeresurus sumatranus, John Edward Gray (1842)
• Trigonocephalus formosus, Johannes Peter Müller & Hermann Schlegel In Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1842)
• Coluber sumatrensis, Friedrich Boie (1826)
• Cophias wagleri, Hermann Schlegel (1826)
• Coluber sumatranus, Heinrich Boie (1826)
• Coluber sumatranus, Thomas Stamford Raffles (1822)

Conservation status

Photos

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