FieldHerpForum

The Taiwan Habu (Trimeresurus/Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) is a cousin of the synonymous Japanese pitviper and the most common terrestrial venomous snake in Taiwan (the even more ubiquitous Bamboo Viper, T. stejnegeri, is arboreal). This adult is very probably a female guarding her eggs - for the past two weeks, she's been hanging out in that very drainage hole every night we drove by; and I've been told that last year the same hole was home to a nesting female, so it would make sense that this is the case here again. I reckon she's about five feet long. I totally dig those white sensor pits!







The woods are swarming with hatchlings now, and the habu is no exception; we keep finding them pretty much every night we go snakin', which is about five times a week, what with the Plum Rains in full swing. Sorry about the funky lighting, I thought it a good idea at the time to use the car's headlights for extra brightness....totally messed with the flash sensor and screwed the illumination design

Cool animals - I enjoy your posts. It's great to get a glimpse from a part of the world so foreign to me.

Very neat species. Your posts are always enjoyable, and it's good to see you herping with your kids.

Ditto.

I enjoy reading your posts and seeing these exotic animals.

So they are egg laying pit vipers like Bushmasters?

Neat!

Very nice pictures. Just curious, those things seem like they'd be tricky too deal with. What eats them?

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone!


Well......for starters, two fat, sweaty guys coming after you, one lying on the ground pointing a large, one-eyed, flashing black box at your face no matter where you turn; the other one angling for you with a snake hook every time you try to head for the ditch? I'd say that would ruin most everyone's day. Plus, they're vipers - it's their job to be pissy and difficult. After all, they have a reputation to lose!

As for them being exotic....I find Texas Indigos MUCH more exotic!