Temple Pit Viper

Temple pit vipers occur through Malaysia, Singapore, Southern Thailand, Borneo, Indonesia and the Philippines, at all levels of rainforest. This common viviparous species is highly sedentary with strong sexual dimorphism in adults. Juveniles are green with cream and red spots (male) or tranverse bands (female) on the dorsum. Adult females are dark black and marked with jagged yellow bands that encircle the ventrals completely, with greenish white spots on the flanks. About three scales above the ventrals, the scales join in the white colouration of the ventral region. Males are much smaller and retain their juvenile colours.