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Jerdon's Pitviper
Protobothrops jerdonii
A venomous and visually striking Asian pit viper, deeply renowned for its contrasting yellow and black mosaic body pattern seamlessly blending into complex montane habitats.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Viperidae
Subfamily:Crotalinae
Genus:Protobothrops
Species:Protobothrops jerdonii
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
65 - 85 %
Day temperature
16 - 26 °C
Ambient temperature
16 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 20 °C
Basking spot
26 °C
Adult size
109 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 200 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Protobothrops jerdonii is native to the mountainous regions of Southern and Eastern Asia, with populations widely distributed across southern China, northeastern India, northern Myanmar, Nepal, and northern Vietnam. It primarily inhabits cool, high-altitude montane forests, wooded river valleys, and rocky slopes at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level, where the climate is humid and temperate.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the Viperidae family and the Crotalinae subfamily (pit vipers), it was scientifically named in honor of the naturalist Thomas Caverhill Jerdon. Three subspecies are recognized: P. j. jerdonii, P. j. bourreti, and P. j. xanthomelas, which vary in geographical range and yellow-color intensity. Its genetic adaptation is tailored to survive in cooler highlands.
Behavior and Habits: This species is nocturnal and crepuscular, exhibiting a secretive and ambush-based hunting strategy. It is semi-arboreal, spending daytime hours coiled in low branches, dense vegetation, or rock crevices. It uses its highly sensitive heat-sensing loreal pits to locate warm-blooded prey, such as small rodents and birds, in complete darkness.
Morphology: It features a slender yet strong body with a distinctly triangular head covered in small, fragmented scales, and vertical slit pupils. Adults typically reach a total length of 80 to 120 cm. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, giving the snake a rough texture and a characteristic matte finish that prevents light reflection.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A tall, well-ventilated enclosure is required, with minimum dimensions of 80x50x80 cm for an adult specimen. The setup must feature strong climbing branches, live or artificial broad-leaf plants to provide cover and visual barriers, and a moisture-retaining substrate such as a peat moss and coconut fiber mix.
Lighting and Heating: Being a high-altitude species, it is highly sensitive to heat. Maintain a temperature gradient of 20-22 °C on the cool side, and a basking spot of 25-26 °C. Nighttime temperatures should drop to 16-18 °C. Exposure to constant temperatures above 28 °C can be fatal. A low-output UVB light source is highly recommended.
Humidity and Hydration: Relative humidity must be kept high, between 75% and 85%, which is achieved by misting the terrarium once or twice daily. A large water bowl containing clean, fresh water must always be available at the bottom of the enclosure, though the snake will regularly drink droplets from leaves after misting.
Feeding and Supplementation: Feed appropriately sized mice once every 10 to 14 days for adults. Due to the cool enclosure temperatures, their metabolic rate is relatively slow, and overfeeding must be avoided to prevent regurgitation. Prey should always be offered using long feeding tongs to maintain a safe distance.
Compatibility: Because this is a highly venomous snake with medically significant venom, it must be housed individually. Co-housing with conspecifics is only appropriate for monitored breeding attempts conducted by experienced keepers, and they should never be housed with other reptile species.
Health and Common Diseases: Thermal stress due to elevated temperatures is the most critical threat, leading to rapid dehydration and respiratory issues. Suboptimal ventilation can cause skin infections and mouth rot (infectious stomatitis). Handling must be avoided unless strictly necessary, using snake hooks and secure shift boxes.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Protobothrops jerdonii is native to the mountainous regions of Southern and Eastern Asia, with populations widely distributed across southern China, northeastern India, northern Myanmar, Nepal, and northern Vietnam. It primarily inhabits cool, high-altitude montane forests, wooded river valleys, and rocky slopes at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level, where the climate is humid and temperate.
Origin
South and Southeast AsiaEast Asia
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 109 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 109 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 109 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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