Hump-Nosed Pit Viper
Hypnale hypnale
A small but medically significant pit viper of southern India and Sri Lanka, notable for its upturned, hump-like snout.
- Venomous?
- Venomous
- Adult length
- 0.3-0.45 m (1-1.5 ft)
- Range
- Southern India and Sri Lanka
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Overview
The hump-nosed pit viper is a small terrestrial viper found in the Western Ghats of southern India and across Sri Lanka. Despite its diminutive size, it has been increasingly recognized as medically important, with bites causing more serious effects than once believed.
Its distinctive upturned snout gives rise to its common name and helps distinguish it from other regional pit vipers.
How to identify it
- Grey, brown, or reddish-brown body with darker triangular or blotched markings
- Distinctly upturned, hump-like snout
- Short, stout body
- Triangular head with heat-sensing pits
- Vertically elliptical pupil
- Rough, keeled scales
- Distinguished from other pit vipers by its small size and upturned snout
Habitat & range
Found in leaf litter, plantations, and forest floor habitats in the Western Ghats of southern India and across Sri Lanka, often in humid lowland and mid-elevation areas.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Nocturnal and terrestrial, ambushing frogs, lizards, and small mammals from concealment in leaf litter. Its cryptic coloration and habit of lying still make accidental encounters more likely. Ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young.
Frequently asked questions
Is the hump-nosed pit viper dangerous?
Yes, despite its small size it is considered medically significant and can cause serious effects.
How can it be recognized?
By its distinctly upturned, hump-like snout and small, stout body.
Where is it found?
In the Western Ghats of southern India and throughout Sri Lanka.
What does it eat?
Frogs, lizards, and small mammals.
Hump-Nosed Pit Viper guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Hump-Nosed Pit Viper.
