Gloydius saxatilis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gloydius saxatilis
Juvenile Sobaeksan National Park, S. Korea
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Synonyms
Trigonocephalus intermedius – Strauch, 1868 (part) Trigonocephalus intermedius – Strauch, 1873 (part) Ancistrodon intermedius – Boulenger, 1896 (part) Agkistrodon blomhoffii intermedius – Stejneger, 1907 (part) Ancistrodon halys intermedius – Nikolsky, 1916 (part) Agkistrodon halys intermedius – Stejneger, 1925 (part) Ancistrodon halys intermedius – Emelianov, 1929 (part) Agkistrodon halys intermedius – Maki, 1931 (part) Ancistrodon halys stejnegeri Rendahl, 1933 (part) Agkistrodon halys – Pope, 1935 (part) Agkistrodon halys – Okada, 1935 (part) Ancistrodon saxatilis Emelianov, 1937 Agkistrodon saxatilis – Gloyd, 1972 Agkistrodon shedoaensis continentalis Zhao, 1980 Gloydius saxatilis – Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981 Agkistrodon intermedius saxatilis – Gloyd & Conant, 1982 Agkistrodon saxatilis – Zhao & Adler, 1993 Gloydius saxatilis – McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré, 1999

The Amur viper, also known as the rock mamushi (scientific name: Gloydius saxatilis), is a type of venomous snake. It belongs to a group called pit vipers. This snake lives only in certain parts of the world: Russia, China, and the Korean Peninsula. Scientists do not currently recognize any different types or subspecies of this snake.

About the Amur Viper

The Amur viper has a body that is thicker than many other vipers. On top of its head, you can often see a marking shaped like an upside-down "V". Unlike some other vipers, it does not have white lines on its head.

Where Amur Vipers Live

Amur vipers can be found in mountain areas. They often live near streams and in forests. This means they like places with rocks, water, and trees.

What Its Name Means

The scientific name for this snake, saxatilis, comes from a Latin word. It means "found among rocks." This name fits well because these snakes often live in rocky places.

Geographic Range of the Amur Viper

You can find the Amur viper in eastern Siberia in Russia, northeastern China, and both North and South Korea. In 1934, a scientist named Chernov suggested that the main place where this snake was first described, called the type locality, should be limited to the "Suchan River" area in Primorskiy Kray, Russia.