Trimeresurus popeiorum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Trimeresurus popeiorum
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Trimeresurus
Species:	popeiorum
Synonyms
Trimesurus elegans (part) — Gray, 1853 Trimeresurus gramineus (part) — C. Pope & S. Pope, 1933 Trimeresurus popeiorum [sic] M.A. Smith, 1937 Trimeresurus popeorum [sic] M.A. Smith, 1943 Trimeresurus popeorum — Taylor & Elbel, 1958 Trimeresurus popeorum popeorum — Regenass & Kramer, 1981 Trimeresurus popeorum popeorum — Golay et al., 1993 Popeia popeiorum — Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004 Trimeresurus popeiorum <br— David et al., 2009 Trimeresurus (Popeia) popeiorum — David et al., 2011

The Trimeresurus popeiorum is a type of venomous snake known as a pit viper. It belongs to the Viperidae family. This snake is found in northern and northeastern India and across Southeast Asia. People often call it by several names, including Pope's pit viper, Pope's green pit viper, Pope's tree viper, and Pope's bamboo pitviper.

A female Pope's pit viper.

A young male Pope's pit viper.

About Pope's Pit Viper

What Does Pope's Pit Viper Look Like?

Pope's pit vipers can grow to be about 770 mm (30 in) long. Their tail can be up to 170 mm (6.7 in) of that length.

These snakes are green on their upper body. Their underside is a pale green or whitish color. A bright stripe separates these two colors along their side. For males, this stripe is orange or brown on the bottom and white on top. For females, the stripe is simply white. This stripe covers the entire outer row of scales and part of the second row.

They have 21 (sometimes 23) rows of scales along their back at the middle of their body. They usually have 9 to 11 scales on their upper lip. A single large scale is found above each eye. The scales on their belly number between 155 and 169. Their tail has 52 to 76 pairs of scales underneath. In males, the base of the tail is wider up to about the 20th to 25th pair of scales.

Where Does Pope's Pit Viper Live?

You can find Trimeresurus popeiorum in Northeastern India, including areas like Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Darjiling. They also live in northern Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. It's possible they are also in Nepal and Yunnan, China, but there aren't many confirmed sightings there.

The first official record of this snake came from the Khasi Hills in Assam, India.

What is the Habitat of Pope's Pit Viper?

Pope's pit vipers prefer to live in the forests of mountainous areas.

Behavior and Diet

How Does Pope's Pit Viper Behave?

This snake is mostly active at night, which means it is nocturnal. It also spends a lot of time in trees, making it an arboreal animal. If it feels threatened, it will shake its tail.

What Does Pope's Pit Viper Eat?

Pope's pit vipers are predators. They hunt and eat various small animals. Their diet includes frogs, lizards, birds, and rodents. They especially like to eat rats and squirrels.

Life Cycle

How Does Pope's Pit Viper Reproduce?

Trimeresurus popeiorum gives birth to live young. This means they are viviparous. In India, female snakes that are ready to have babies usually give birth in April and May. On average, a female will have about 10 babies at a time. When they are born, the baby snakes are about 180 mm (7.1 in) long.

Venom

Is Pope's Pit Viper Venomous?

Yes, Trimeresurus popeiorum has a powerful venom. This venom is hemotoxic, meaning it affects blood and tissues. Its bite can be dangerous to humans.

Images for kids

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  Adult male Trimeresurus popeiorum