Pope's Pit Viper

The Pope's pit viper ranges throughout Southeast Asia in Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Borneo and Indonesia (Sumatra) at all rainforest elevations. In Malaysia, this is a semi-terrestial species with highly variable patterning. It is green with faint dorsal crossbands while the tail is rusty brown; the eyes may be greenish, copper or yellow. Sometimes, the dorsal bands may be reddish orange, and a row of vertebral white spots may occur. Male popes have a red and white ventrolateral stripe; females are larger and lack the red stripe. It hunts lizards, frogs, rodents and small mammals, coiled on low-hanging shrubs and trees along streams and pools of water in rainforest.