White-lipped Island Pitviper

Trimeresurus insularis

Description

The White-lipped Island Pitviper a small to medium sized snake with a distinct triangular head. Typically bright green in colour, with a paler area on the lips. Tailed red-brown. In areas outside Bali occasionally olive-green or aqua-blue, and a cream-yellow form is known from Wetar. Females are generally longer and more robust than males. Dangerously venomous, bites are occasionally fatal.

Population Size

Stable

Life Span

-

WEIGHT​

30.5 g

LENGTH

Total length 1 meter

Ar

Arboreal

Ca

Carnivore

No

Nocturnal

Classification

KINGDOM

:

Animalia

PHYLUM

:

Chordata

CLASS

:

Reptilia

ORDER

:

Squamata

FAMILY

:

Viperidae

GENUS

:

Trimeresurus

SPECIES

:

Trimeresurus insularis

Distribution

White-lipped Island Pitviper live in monsoon forest and agricultural land in both wet and dry areas, to approximately 1200 m asl.

Geography

Continents : Southeast Asia

Country : Indonesia, East Java, the Lesser Sundas from Bali and Lombok to Timor and Kisar.

Habits and Lifestyle

This spesies active by night or nocturnal, foraging slowly or waiting in ambush, both on the ground and climbing. May be seen in the same position or close by for several consecutive days. By day sleeps coiled in vegetation

Lifestyle

Arboreal

Biome

Monsoon Forest

Climate Zone

Tropical

Diet and Nutrition

This species preys on frogs, lizards, birds and small mammals

Diet : Carnivora

Mating Habits

Females give birth to 7-17 young, measuring a total length of about 120-180 mm. In Komodo, this species is born at the beginning of the rainy season (November – December).

Reproduction session : November – Desember

Incubation periods : –

Independent age : at birth

Baby name : –

Baby carrying : 7 – 17 live young

Population

Population status : Least Concern (LC)

NE

DD

LC

NT

VU

EN

CR

EW

EX

Population threats​

This species is occasionally found in the pet trade and according to villagers in western Flores the species is clubbed to death (M. Auliya pers. comm. 2010). However, there are no other known major threats to this species.

Population number​

Trimeresurus insularis as been assessed as Least Concern because this species has a wide distribution and is not known to be affected by major widespread threat. It is therefore unlikely to be experiencing significant population declines.

PHOTO GALLERY

Reference

  1. Auliya, M. 2010. Trimeresurus insularis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T178038A7489272
  2. Somaweera, R. 2017. A Naturalist’s Guide To The Reptiles and Amphibians of Bali. John Beaufoy Publishing, Oxford, England.
  3. McKay, J.L. 2006. Reptil and Amphibi di Bali. Krieger Publishing Company, Florida, USA.