In Vietnam, there exists a species of snake with a colorful and beautiful appearance, yet few people know that this snake possesses highly dangerous venom.
A Rare Snake with Vibrant Patterns
The snake in question is the Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper, also known as the Eastern Green Viper or Spotted Green Viper, with the scientific name Trimeresurus jerdonii. This species belongs to the pit viper family.
The adult Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper measures between 0.8 to 1 meter in length, with females typically larger than males. This snake has a large head that is distinctly separated from its neck and body, a characteristic feature of pit vipers.
The Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper has colorful scales on its body (Photo: Animalia).
Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper is notable for its brightly colored scales, which alternate between black and green or light yellow scales. This coloration helps the snake effectively camouflage in its natural environment.
Close-up of the patterns on the body of Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper (Photo: ResearchGate).
The Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper is distributed from South Asia to Southeast Asia, including India, Nepal, Myanmar, southern China, and Vietnam. In Vietnam, this snake is found in mountainous provinces in the North such as Lao Cai, Son La, and Lai Chau.
This snake inhabits moist and cool forests at altitudes ranging from 1,400 to 2,400 meters. They are sometimes spotted near streams, grasslands, or bamboo thickets, and farmland in high mountainous areas, making Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper quite rare in the wild.
A Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper resting on a high tree in Sapa, Lao Cai (Photo: SIFASV).
Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper is nocturnal and hunts primarily at night. Its main diet consists of rodents, birds, amphibians, and other small reptiles. They hunt by hiding and ambushing prey as it comes close.
Close-up of the triangular head distinct from the body of Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper (Photo: Phùng Mỹ Trung).
On the upper surface of this snake’s body are thermal sensory pits, allowing it to detect prey by body heat, which aids in hunting effectively in low-light conditions.
Due to its high-altitude habitat and nocturnal behavior, humans find it very difficult to encounter them in the wild.
How Venomous is Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper?
There is a belief that the more colorful and vibrant a snake appears, the more dangerous it is. This belief holds true for the Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper.
The Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper has beautiful colors, but also possesses deadly venom (Photo: Markus Oulehla).
The Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper possesses dangerous hemotoxic venom. When bitten, the victim will experience pain, swelling, and coagulopathy leading to continuous bleeding. If not treated promptly, this can result in necrosis of the wound or even death.
The Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper has hemotoxic venom, which can be fatal if not treated promptly (Photo: Wikipedia).
If bitten by a Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper, immediate medical attention is crucial. Keep the victim still and immobilize the bitten area to prevent excessive movement. Absolutely do not apply a tourniquet to the bite, as this may lead to necrosis of the wound.
Since the Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper resides in high-altitude areas, making timely medical assistance difficult to access, the most important thing is “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” People should avoid areas where venomous snakes are likely to exist and refrain from attempting to catch or attack snakes to avoid being bitten.
The colors and patterns of the Jerdon’s Green Pit Viper provide excellent camouflage (Photo: Phước Lợi).
When hiking or entering the forest, individuals should wear high-top shoes and avoid stepping through dense bushes. If it is necessary to move through dense undergrowth or piles of dry leaves, use a long stick to check the area before proceeding to avoid snake ambush attacks.
When seeking a resting spot, absolutely do not sit on piles of dry leaves, and keep away from decayed logs as these may harbor snakes. For safety, sit on cleared rocks or on ground that has been cleared of dry leaves.
