# Trimeresurus sumatranus

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trimeresurus_sumatranus
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Trimeresurus_sumatranus.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimeresurus_sumatranus
> Source revision: 1349894543
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Species of snake

Trimeresurus sumatranus Artist's rendition Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Viperidae Genus: Trimeresurus Species: T. sumatranus Binomial name Trimeresurus sumatranus (Raffles, 1822) Synonyms C[oluber]. Sumatranus Raffles, 1822 C[oluber]. sumatranus – H. Boie, 1826 Trigonocephalus formosus J.P. Müller & Schlegel In Temminck, 1842 Trimeresurus Sumatranus – Gray, 1842 Trigonocephalus formosus – J.P. Müller & Schlegel In Temminck, 1845 Trigonocephalus sumatranus – Cantor, 1847 Trimeresurus formosus – Gray, 1849 B[othrops]. formosus – Jan, 1863 Bothrops sumatranus – Lidth de Jeude, 1866 Lachesis sumatranus – Boulenger, 1896 Trimeresurus sumatranus – M.A. Smith, 1922 Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus – Loveridge, 1938 Trimeresurus sumatranus sumatranus – Golay et al., 1993[2] Parias sumatranus – Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004 Trimeresurus (Parias) sumatranus – David et al., 2011[3]

***Trimeresurus sumatranus*** is a [species](/source/Species) of [venomous](/source/Venomous_snake) [pitviper](/source/Crotalinae) (a [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) of vipers within the larger [Viperidae](/source/Viperidae) family) found in the tropical forests of [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia), [Malaysia](/source/Malaysia) and [Thailand](/source/Thailand). [Arboreal](/source/Arboreal) by nature, its coloration is pale to neon-green, with some black vertical markings, and a red-tipped tail. As with other vipers, this species has prominent, "keeled" scales, which appear somewhat raised and give the snake a rough-textured appearance. [Common names](/source/Common_name) include **Sumatran pitviper**,[4] **Sumatran tree viper**,[5] and **Sumatran pit viper**.[6]

Sumatran pit viper (*Trimeresurus sumatranus*) Courtesy Thai National Parks Photograph by Bernard Dupont

## Description

*Trimeresurus sumatranus* is a large heavy-bodied pitviper, with a [prehensile](/source/Prehensile) tail. Adults may attain 1.6 metres (5 feet 3 inches) SVL ([snout–vent length](/source/Snout%E2%80%93vent_length)), with fangs over 10 mm (3⁄8 in) long.[7]

It is an arboreal species that is pale green in color with a red tail.[5] The dorsal scales are edged with black, which may form crossbands in more mature specimens. There is a white or yellow stripe on each side along the first row of dorsal scales. Ventrally it is greenish or yellowish, and the ventral scales may be thinly edged with black.[8]

Scalation includes 21 (23) rows of [dorsal scales](/source/Dorsal_scales) at midbody, 183–190/182–191 [ventral scales](/source/Ventral_scales) in males/females, 57–66/55–64 [subcaudal scales](/source/Subcaudal_scales) in males/females, and 8–10 [supralabial scales](/source/Supralabial_scales).[4]

## Habitat

In [Borneo](/source/Borneo) it inhabits [lowland](/source/Lowland) [forests](/source/Forest) at elevations below 800 meters (2,600 feet).[7]

## Behavior

It is [nocturnal](/source/Nocturnal), climbing onto low branches to hunt its prey.[7]

## Diet

The diet consists mainly of arboreal small [mammals](/source/Mammal), [birds](/source/Bird),[5] and [tree frogs](/source/Tree_frog).[7]

## Geographic range

Found in southern [Thailand](/source/Thailand), [West](/source/Peninsular_Malaysia) and [East Malaysia](/source/East_Malaysia) ([Sabah](/source/Sabah) and [Sarawak](/source/Sarawak) on [Borneo](/source/Borneo)) and [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia) ([Bangka](/source/Bangka_Island), [Billiton](/source/Belitung), Borneo, [Sumatra](/source/Sumatra) and the nearby islands of Simalur, [Nias](/source/Nias), and possibly the [Mentawai Islands](/source/Mentawai_Islands) [[Sipora](/source/Sipura)]). The [type locality](/source/Type_locality_(biology)) given is "Sumatra."[2]

According to Gumprecht *et al.* (2004), the records regarding its occurrence in the Mentawai Islands are probably based on *[T. hageni](/source/Trimeresurus_hageni)*.[4]

## Venom

Because it is a large snake with large fangs, *Trimeresurus sumatranus* can inject large quantities of [venom](/source/Venom). Fatalities from its bite have been reported, and it should be considered extremely dangerous.[7]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-iucn_status_20_November_2021_1-0)** Inger, R.F.; Grismer, L.; Chan-Ard, T. (2013). ["*Trimeresurus sumatranus*"](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/178274/44273835). *[IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/IUCN_Red_List)*. **2013** e.T178274A44273835. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T178274A44273835.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T178274A44273835.en). Retrieved 20 November 2021.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-McD99_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-McD99_2-1) McDiarmid RW, [Campbell JA](/source/Jonathan_A._Campbell), Touré T. 1999. *Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1*. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-893777-00-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-893777-00-6) (series). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-893777-01-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-893777-01-4) (volume).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [*Trimeresurus sumatranus*](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species.php?genus=Trimeresurus&species=sumatranus) at the [Reptarium.cz Reptile Database](http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Gum04_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Gum04_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Gum04_4-2) Gumprecht A, Tillack F, [Orlov NL](/source/Nikolai_Liutsianovich_Orlov), [Captain A](/source/Ashok_Captain), Ryabov S. 2004. *Asian Pitvipers*. Geitje Books. Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [3-937975-00-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/3-937975-00-4).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Meh87_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Meh87_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Meh87_5-2) Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8069-6460-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8069-6460-X).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Bro73_6-0)** Brown JH. 1973. *Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes*. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-398-02808-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-398-02808-7).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Das2006_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Das2006_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Das2006_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Das2006_7-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Das2006_7-4) Das, Indraneil. 2006. *A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Borneo*. Ralph Curtis Books. Sanibel Island, Florida. 144 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-88359-061-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-88359-061-1). (*Parias sumatranus*, p. 55.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Boulenger, G.A.](/source/George_Albert_Boulenger) 1896. *Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the...Viperidæ.*. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, Printers.) London. xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I.- XXV. (*Lachesis sumatranus*, pp. 557-558.)

## Further reading

- [Raffles, T.S.](/source/Stamford_Raffles) 1822. Second Part of the Descriptive Catalogue of a Zoological Collection made in [sic] the Island of Sumatra and its vicinity. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 13 (2): 277-340. (*Coluber sumatranus*, p. 334.)

v t e Snakes in the genus Trimeresurus Trimeresurus albolabris Trimeresurus ayerwadyensis Trimeresurus borneensis Trimeresurus brongersmai Trimeresurus cantori Trimeresurus erythrurus Trimeresurus fasciatus Trimeresurus flavomaculatus Trimeresurus gracilis Trimeresurus gramineus Trimeresurus hageni Trimeresurus kanburiensis Trimeresurus karanshahi Trimeresurus labialis Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus Trimeresurus salazar Trimeresurus stejnegeri Trimeresurus sumatranus Trimeresurus tibetanus Trimeresurus trigonocephalus

Taxon identifiers Trimeresurus sumatranus Wikidata: Q930411 Wikispecies: Trimeresurus sumatranus ADW: Trimeresurus_sumatranus CoL: 7D5PW GBIF: 2443741 iNaturalist: 146513 ITIS: 634933 IUCN: 178274 NCBI: 243558 Open Tree of Life: 841073 RD: sumatranus Coluber sumatranus Wikidata: Q24354549 GBIF: 2444214 IRMNG: 10368390 ITIS: 1058672

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Trimeresurus sumatranus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimeresurus_sumatranus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimeresurus_sumatranus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.