What is Jerdon’s Pit Viper? A Nature’s Ghost

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Reptilia
• Order: Squamata
• Suborder: Serpentes
• Family: Viperidae
• Genus: Protobothrops
• Species: P. jerdonii
• Scientific Name: Protobothrops jerdonii

Jerdon’s Pit Viper is a highly venomous snake found is India, China, Nepal and Vietnam. 

-Where are the habitats of Jerdon’s Pit Vipers?

Jerdon’s Pit Vipers live in mountains and plateaus at altitudes of 1,350-3,160m, and can be found in wild grasslands, cultivated fields, or stony fields. They usually live in grasses or deadwood near streams and rivers.

-How to recognize it?

The tubular upright fangs are characteristic of this pit viper, as is a triangular head, which is clearly distinguished from the neck. The smaller scales on the head and back pass to the larger scales on the nose and eye socket. Its body is generally thick and thin, with a short tail and a greenish-yellow body covered with brown spots and markings.

- What do Jerdon’s Pit Vipers feed on?

They have infrared sensing pits, which is kind of sense that human don't have, but pit vipers do. Pit vipers are in poor eyesight, so they rely mainly on the tongue to sense the surrounding environment, and pits on either side of the head to sense temperature fluctuations. Through these two pits, These stealth predators can detect its prey even in complete darkness, and it is armed to the teeth. Rats, birds, frogs, and sometimes salamander are their favorite.

-Why are Jerdon’s Pit Vipers so dangerous?

 Jerdon’s Pit Viper is a beautiful, and at the same time, ferocious, and venomous snake. Its beautiful patterns make it so well camouflaged and it can be able to avoid predator. Just imagine such a dangerous creature lying nearby, undetected, which is easy for you to disturb it unintentionally. When it feels that danger is coming, it will attack quickly. 

Fangs and Venom

Jerdon’s Pit Viper has needle-sharp fangs has hinging, venomous, hypodermic needles. Those fangs are hooked up to venom sacs in the back of its head. Its venom is likely to be the most powerful in the world.  This pit viper is certainly capable of delivering an extremely venomous bite, which could even kill a human. If bitten, the victim is at high risk of respiratory failure, and serum injections are the only known antidote. 

When confronted with one of these pit viper, the best thing you should do is to walk away slowly and quietly and leave it alone.