Despite the fact that it’s referred to as a green snake, this snake does no longer possess the usual green scales, then again has a scary glance with horns on its head.
Venomous snake species endemic in Vietnam
The organism mentioned above is the species horned viperalso known as Fan-si-pan horned viper, medical name Protobothrops cornutus.
Despite its name, this snake does no longer possess green scales, instead It has a body with gray-brown scales, a row of dark spots along the middle of the body, and the facet of the body is gentle brown. This color helps the horned viper have superb camouflage in its habitat to hunt and keep away from enemies inside the wild.
The horned viper has a clearly distinct head and neck, and a prolonged and thin body ({Photograph}: iNaturalist).
Like other species of the viper family, the Fan-si-pan horned viper possesses a large triangular head, the top clearly distinguishable from the neck and body. This can be a small sized snake, males are smaller than girls people. Adults are typically most effective 0.6 to 0.9m long and weigh from 0.6 to a minimum of one.3kg.
The highlight of this snake’s head is two raised scales above the eyes, like sharp horns. Male folks steadily have better “horns” than girls people. It’s this option that creates the name and scary glance of the horned viper.
The scales on this snake’s eyes are raised, like horns, giving the animal its name ({Photograph}: Research Gate).
Habitat and foods of the Fan-si-pan horned viper
The Fan-si-pan horned viper typically lives in limestone mountains or granite outcrops, humid forests and tropical forests at altitudes from 250m to 2,000m.
In Vietnamthis snake species is distributed in Lao Cai (Sa Pa, Van Ban), Ha Giang (Khau Ca), Cao Bang (Ha Lang), Ninh Binh (Hoa Lu), Quang Binh (Phong Nha – Ke Bang national park ), Thua Thien Hue (Bach Ma National Park). This can be a unusual snake species whose habitat is fragmented and scattered.
The Fan-si-pan horned viper is a nocturnal species. This behavior helps them keep away from possible predators inside the wild. Throughout the day, this snake steadily hides in tree holes or beneath dense foliage… its body color helps it cover smartly in its habitat.
Body color helps this snake camouflage smartly in its habitat ({Photograph}: Yan).
This snake hunts at evening time. On account of the heat-sensing cavities on its face, the horned viper can hunt in the dark because of its ability to sense the body temperature of its prey.
They basically consume small mammals, birds, lizards and frogs. This snake uses an ambush taking a look method, patiently taking a look ahead to prey to approach previous to attacking, injecting venom into the prey and eating meat.
How poisonous is the Fan-si-pan horned viper?
The Fan-si-pan horned viper is a species belonging to the Crotalinae snake subfamily of the viper family, Possesses dangerous blood venom.
When bitten, the victim will revel in pain, edema, and blood clotting problems causing secure bleeding. If the victim does no longer download neatly timed medical attention, it’s going to finally end up in wound necrosis or even lack of lifestyles.
On the other hand, for the reason that Fan-si-pan horned viper steadily lives in top mountains, in areas where few folks are living and this snake species itself is also unusual, the collection of conflicts between folks and horned vipers is low. This can be a unusual incidence, so few instances of folks being bitten by the use of this snake have been recorded.
Conservation status of the Fan-si-pan horned viper
Green-horned snake is a rare snake and will have to be preserved ({Photograph}: oldfears).
Because the Fan-si-pan horned viper has a fragmented habitat, the habitat is degraded on account of quarrying, exploitation and encroachment on wooded space land… making this snake species threatened.
Lately, the Fan-si-pan horned viper is listed “prone animals” inside the Vietnam Crimson Book, it belongs to a rare animal species, merely threatened with extinction if it has a damaging affect on the living atmosphere, so the law in Vietnam prohibits taking a look and purchasing and promoting of this snake.
In keeping with Dan Tri