Salazar’s Pit Viper
A new species of pit viper snake, named after Harry Potter character, was discovered in Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh.
About the Species
The Salazar Pit Viper is a bright green snake that was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. Also known as Trimeresurus Salazar, it has an orange-red stripe running from the lower border of the eye to the posterior part of the head in males, short bilobed hemipenis, higher number of pterygoid and dentary teeth and small red lines near its lips. It is morphologically different from other pit vipers.
Pit Vipers
Pit vipers or Crotalinae are a sub-family of venomous snake found in Americas and Eurasia. They are noted for bearing the pit organ- a heat sensing structure found between the eyes and the nostril on both sides of the head. They live in a range of habitats- from deserts to rainforests. They can be terrestrial, semi-aquatic or arboreal (dwelling in trees).
Pit Vipers in North-east India
About 110 species of snakes are found in North-east India. Arunachal Pradesh itself accounts over 50 species. There are 48 known species of pit vipers across east and south-east Asia. Of these, 15 have been recorded in India and 7 in north-east region.
