How to Identify the Arunachal Pit Viper (Identification Guide)
A guide to recognizing the Arunachal pit viper by its green coloration and localized range in the mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, India.
Read the full Arunachal Pit Viper encyclopedia entry →Key identifying features
The Arunachal pit viper (Trimeresurus arunachalensis) is identified by its slender green body typical of Asian arboreal pit vipers, combined with its known distribution restricted to the mountainous forests of Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
Coloration & pattern
The body is generally bright to yellowish-green, sometimes with a faint pale stripe along the lower side, more pronounced in males, and occasional fine darker flecking along the back. The tail may show subtle color contrast. The belly is pale green to whitish.
Head, eyes & scales
The head is triangular, clearly wider than the neck, and covered with small granular scales rather than large plates. Heat-sensing pits sit between the eye and nostril, with eyes typically golden or greenish and vertically elliptical pupils. Body scales are keeled.
Size & body shape
This is a moderately slender pit viper, typically 50 to 80 cm (about 20 to 31 inches) long, with a laterally compressed body well suited to climbing in forest vegetation.
Range & habitat where you'll see it
As its name suggests, the Arunachal pit viper is known from the forested hills and mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, India, typically at moderate to higher elevations in moist forest habitat.
How to tell it apart from look-alikes
Because many green pit vipers across the eastern Himalayan region look similar, the Arunachal pit viper is best distinguished by its known restricted range in Arunachal Pradesh, along with subtle scale and pattern differences from closely related species such as Salazar's pit viper found in the same general region.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Arunachal pit viper found?
In the forested mountains of Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India.
What color is this snake?
Bright to yellowish-green, often with a faint pale lateral stripe.
How large does it get?
Typically 50 to 80 cm (20 to 31 inches) in length.
How is it told apart from similar green pit vipers in the region?
Mainly by its known geographic range and subtle scale differences, since general coloration overlaps with related species.