What are Pit Vipers?
- Pit viper is any species of viper (a family of venomous snakes) that has, in addition to two movable fangs, a heat-sensitive pit organ between each eye and nostril.
- The pit organ is what allows them to sense the infrared thermal radiation (heat) emitted by their prey in the dark.
- Habitat: They are found in a variety of habitats, including deserts, forests, grasslands and wetlands. They may be terrestrial, arboreal, or aquatic.
- Distribution:
- They are most commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, but some species can also be found in temperate regions.
- They are found on every continent except Antarctica, with the majority of species found in Asia and the Americas.
- Some species lay eggs; others produce live young.
Key Facts about Salazar Pit Viper:
- It is a species of pit viper first identified in Arunachal Pradesh in 2019.
- The snake, which is nocturnal, demonstrates a unique orange-to-reddish stripe, present on the head and body in males.
- Scientific Name: Trimeresurus salazar
- Members of the genus Trimeresurusare charismatic venomous snakes, with morphologically as well as ecologically diverse species.
- They are distributed across East and Southeast Asia. At least 48 nominate species are known, of which at least 15 occur in India.
- Most species are typically green in color, but some also have yellow, black, orange, red, or gold markings.
- Their diet includes a variety of animals, including lizards, amphibians, birds, rodents, and other small mammals.
- Trimeresurus snakes are morphologically cryptic, which makes it difficult to distinguish them in the field.
