- Trimeresurus trigonocephalus
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Trimeresurus trigonocephalus 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae Subfamily: Crotalinae Genus: Trimeresurus Species: T. trigonocephalus Binomial name Trimeresurus trigonocephalus
(Donndorff, 1798)Synonyms - Coluber capite-triangulatus - Lacépède, 1789
- Col[uber]. Trigonocephalus - Donndorff, 1798
- Vipera trigonocephala - Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
- Trigonocephalus nigromarginatus - Kuhl, 1820
- [Cophias] trigonocephalus - Merrem, 1820
- Trigonoceph[alus]. sagittiformis - Schinz, 1822
- Megaera trigonocephala - Wagler, 1830
- Megaera olivacea - Gray, 1842
- Bothrops nigromarginatus - A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854
- Trimeresurus trigonocephalus - Günther, 1864
- Lachesis trigonocephalus - Boulenger, 1896
- Lachesis trigonocephala - Boettger, 1898
- Trimeresurus capitetriangulatus - Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981
- Coluber trogonocephalus - Golay et al., 1993[1]
Trimeresurus trigonocephalus is a venomous pitviper species found in Sri Lanka. No subspecies are currently recognized.[2]
Contents
Description
A sexually dimorphic species, at a maximum of 70 cm in length the males are considerably smaller than females, which can grow to 130 cm. In addition, male tends to have a blue coloration, whereas the females are predominantly green. These are bulky snakes with a prehensile tail, suiting their arboreal lifestyle.
Common names
Common names include: Sri Lankan green pitviper,[3] Sri Lankan pit viper,[4] pala polonga(පළා පොළඟා), green pit viper.[5]
Geographic range
Found all over the island of Sri Lanka, from the lower altitudes to about 1,800 m (de Silva, 1980). The type locality given is "lîle S.-Eustache" (Sri Lanka).[1]
Behavior
This is not a particularly defensive species, but if agitated it will vibrate its tail tip and eventually strike.
Venom
The venom is primarily haemotoxic, with victims experiencing severe pain, swelling of the bitten area, oedema and localised tissue necrosis. However, fatalities have not been reported.
See also
- List of crotaline species and subspecies
- Trimeresurus by common name
- Trimeresurus by taxonomic synonyms
- Crotalinae by common name
- Crotalinae by taxonomic synonyms
- Snakebite
References
- ^ a b McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
- ^ "Trimeresurus trigonocephalus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=634936. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
- ^ Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S. 2004. Asian Pitvipers. GeitjeBooks Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
- ^ Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
- ^ Brown JH. 1973. Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7.
External links
- Trimeresurus trigonocephalus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 27 December 2007.
Categories:- Trimeresurus
- Reptiles of Sri Lanka
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