Malayan Pit Viper
Calloselasma rhodostoma
A medium-sized, heavy-bodied pit viper of Southeast Asia known for its distinctive triangular head markings and its role in significant numbers of snakebite cases in the region.
- Venomous?
- Venomous
- Adult length
- 0.5-0.9 m (1.6-3 ft)
- Range
- Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and parts of Indonesia
Found a snake like this?
Identify any snake from a photo, free.
Overview
The Malayan pit viper is a venomous pit viper widely distributed across Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and parts of Indonesia. It is a heavy-bodied, well-camouflaged ground-dwelling species often found in agricultural and lowland habitats.
It is medically significant in the countries where it occurs due to its abundance near farmland and its cryptic, leaf-litter camouflage, which brings it into frequent proximity with people working in rubber, oil palm, and rice plantations.
How to identify it
- Reddish-brown to grayish-brown body with a series of dark, triangular or hourglass-shaped blotches along the back, often edged in pale cream
- Distinctive pale stripe running from behind the eye toward the corner of the mouth
- Broad, triangular, arrow-shaped head clearly distinct from a narrower neck
- Heat-sensing pit organs between the eye and nostril
- Vertically elliptical pupils
- Keeled, rough-textured scales
- Stout, heavy body relative to its moderate length
Habitat & range
Found in lowland forest, scrubland, agricultural plantations (especially rubber and oil palm), rice paddies, and areas with abundant leaf litter across its Southeast Asian range, typically at low elevations.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Primarily nocturnal, though it may be active by day in shaded conditions. A sluggish, sit-and-wait ambush predator that relies heavily on camouflage among leaf litter, striking rapidly at passing rodents, birds, and other small vertebrates. Unusually among vipers it is oviparous, laying eggs that the female guards until hatching.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Malayan pit viper dangerous?
Yes, it is a venomous species and one of the more medically significant snakes in parts of Southeast Asia due to its abundance in agricultural areas.
How can you identify it?
Look for its reddish-brown body with dark triangular blotches, a pale cheek stripe, and a broad, triangular head with heat-sensing pits.
Where is it commonly encountered?
In rubber and oil palm plantations, rice fields, and other lowland agricultural or forested habitats across Southeast Asia.
Is it aggressive?
It is generally sluggish and relies on camouflage, but it can strike quickly if disturbed or approached closely.
Malayan Pit Viper guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Malayan Pit Viper.
