How to Identify the Kanburian Pit Viper (Identification Guide)

Key identifying features

The Kanburian pit viper (Trimeresurus kanburiensis) is identified by its slender green body typical of Asian green pit vipers, combined with its localized distribution around the Kanchanaburi region of western Thailand, from which its name is derived.

Coloration & pattern

The body is a bright to yellowish-green, often with a faint pale stripe running along the lower flank, more distinct in males. Some individuals show subtle darker flecking along the back. The tail may show a mild color contrast. The belly is pale green or whitish.

Head, eyes & scales

The head is triangular, clearly wider than the neck, covered in small granular scales. Heat-sensing pits sit between the eye and nostril, and the eyes generally show a golden or coppery tone with vertically elliptical pupils. Body scales are keeled.

Size & body shape

This is a moderately slender pit viper, typically 50 to 75 cm (about 20 to 30 inches) long, with a laterally compressed body adapted for climbing among low vegetation.

Range & habitat where you'll see it

The Kanburian pit viper is known primarily from the Kanchanaburi Province area of western Thailand, inhabiting forested and hilly terrain at low to moderate elevations.

How to tell it apart from look-alikes

Given the strong similarity among green pit vipers in Southeast Asia, the Kanburian pit viper is best identified by its known localized range in western Thailand; snakes matching a typical green pit viper description found specifically in that area are the most likely candidates for this species, with scale counts used for confirmed identification.