Japanese moccasin, Japanese pit viper, Qichun snake, Japanese mamushi, salmusa or salmosa
Mamushi (Gloydius blomhoffii) is a venomous pit viper species found in Japan. It is one of the most venomous snakes in Japan. Every year, 2000-3000 people in Japan are bitten by a mamushi.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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VenomousVenom is a type of poison, especially one secreted by an animal. It is delivered in a bite, sting, or similar action. Venom has evolved in terrestr...
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe body pattern of these snakes consists of a pale gray, reddish-brown, or yellow-brown background, overlaid with a series of irregularly-shaped lateral blotches. These blotches are bordered with black and often have lighter centers. Their head is dark brown or black, with beige or pale-gray sides.
Mamushi are found in Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu islands in Japan, and Kunasir Island (the southernmost island of the Kuril Islands archipelago) in Russia. These snakes live in various habitats, including swamps, marshes, meadows, open woodland, grassland, rocky hillsides, and montane rock outcroppings. They are also often found in and around farmland due to the abundance of rodents.
These snakes lead a solitary life. They are active during the day spending most of their time hiding and waiting for their prey to pass by. Mamushi are typically ambush predators that use their excellent camouflage to hide in vegetation or leaf litter.
The venom of this species varies very little in Japan in terms of both its potency and its effects. The venom's lethality as measured by LD50 in mice following intraperitoneal injection is in the range 0.3 mg/kg to 1.22 mg/kg. The venom mostly contains haemolytic toxins, but it also has two neurotoxins - an alpha-toxin that is a post-synaptic inhibitor and a beta-toxin that is a pre-synaptic inhibitor. Because the beta-toxin acts pre-synaptically, its effects cannot be blocked or treated by anticholinesterases.
Mamushi are carnivores and feed mainly on rodents, but also small birds, lizards, and insects.
Mamushi are viviparous snakes which means that they give birth to live young. Females usually reproduce in August-October and litter consists of 2 to 13 babies. Young mamushi are born fully developed and become reproductively mature when they are 3-4 years old.
There are no major threats to mamushi at present. However, these snakes are collected for commercial use and are killed because of fear.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the mamushi total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
