Green tree pit viper, White-lipped tree viper, White-lipped green pit viper, White-lipped bamboo pit viper
Trimeresurus albolabris, the white-lipped pit viper or white-lipped tree viper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Southeast Asia.
The White-lipped pit viper is a venomous snake native to Southeast Asia. It is green above, and the side of the head below the eyes is yellow, white, or pale green, much lighter than the rest of the head. The belly is green, yellowish, or white below. A light ventrolateral stripe is present in all males but absent in females. The end of the tail is not mottled brown.
White-lipped pit vipers are found in Nepal northeastern India (Assam and Jharkhand), Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, southern China (Fukien, Hainan, Kwangsi, Kwangtung), Hong Kong, Macau, and Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Sumbawa, Komodo, Flores, Sumba, Roti, Kisar, Wetar). These snakes live in forests, shrubland, agricultural areas, rural gardens, and near human habitations.
White-lipped pit vipers are generally solitary creatures. They are nocturnal and prefer to avoid high daytime temperatures and hunt when their favored prey are also active. The snakes' heat-sensitive pits are also thought to help them locate cooler areas in which to rest. As ambush predators, White-lipped pit vipers typically wait patiently somewhere for unsuspecting prey to wander by. They don't strike and release their prey; like many arboreal snakes, they strike and hold on to the prey item until it dies.
Results of bites from this species range from mild envenoming to death. The venom of white-lipped pitviper contains procoagulant properties. There have been numerous reported bites with few fatalities.
White-lipped pit vipers are carnivores and feed on birds, small frogs, lizards, and small mammals.
White-lipped pit vipers breed in May. They are viviparous and after the gestation period of 129-157 days females typically give birth to 10-20 live young.
The main threat to the White-lipped pit viper is persecution by humans mainly because of fear. These snakes are also often hunted for food and for use in traditional medicine.
According to IUCN, the White-lipped pit viper is locally common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
