Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Trimeresurus
Species:	purpureomaculatus
Synonyms
Trigonocephalus purpureo-maculatus Gray, 1832 Trimesurus purpureus Gray, 1842 Trimesurus carinatus Gray, 1842 C[ryptelytrops]. carinatus – Cope, 1860 [Trimesurus] porphyraceus Blyth, 1861 Trimeresurus purpureus – Günther, 1864 T[rimeresurus]. carinatus – Theobald, 1868 Crotalus Trimeres[urus]. carinatus – Higgins, 1873 Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus – Boulenger, 1890 Lachesis purpureomaculatus – Boulenger, 1896 Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus – M.A. Smith, 1943 Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus purpureomaculatus – M.A. Smith, 1943 Cryptelytrops purpureomaculatus – Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004 Trimeresurus (Trimeresurus) purpureomaculatus – David et al.

Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus is a venomous pit viper species native to India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. Common names include: mangrove pit viper, mangrove viper, and shore pit viper.

Description

Males grow to a total length of 66.5 centimetres (26.2 in), females 90 centimetres (35 in). The maximum tail lengths are then 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) and 14 centimetres (5.5 in) respectively.

Small individual from Singapore

Scales in 25-27 longitudinal rows at midbody; 11-13 upper labials, the first partially or completely united with the nasal; supraocular very narrow, sometimes broken into small scales, 12-15 scales between them; head scales small, subequal, tuberculate or granular; temporal scales keeled.

Body color highly variable: above olive, grayish, to dark purplish brown; below whitish, greenish or brown, uniform or spotted with brown; a light line on scale row one bordering ventrals present or absent; head olive, heavily suffused with brown.

Ventrals: males 160-179, females 168-183; subcaudals: males 74-76, females 56-63, paired; hemipenes without spines.

Common names

Mangrove pit viper, mangrove viper, shore pit viper, purple-spotted pit viper, shore pitviper.

Geographic range

Found in Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (Sumatra and Java). The type locality is listed as "Singapore".