| Ovophis monticola | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Subfamily: | Crotalinae |
| Genus: | Ovophis |
| Species: | O. monticola |
| Binomial name | |
| Ovophis monticola (Günther, 1864) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Ovophis monticola is a venomous pitviper species found in Asia. Currently, five subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.[4]
Contents |
Total length males 49 cm, females 110 cm; tail length males 8 cm, females 15 cm.[5]
The head has a short snout, a little more than twice the length of the diameter of the eye. The crown is covered by small scales rather than large shields, while the scales are usually smooth, feebly imbricate. The first upper labial is not fused to the nasal and is completely separated by a suture. The supraoculars are large, 5-9 scales in a line between them. The internasals are usually not in contact with one another, separated by 2 small suprapostrostral scales. There are 7-10 upper labials, the second of which is usually fused to the scale bordering the facial sensory pit anteriorly. The fourth and fifth upper labials are beneath the eye, but separated from orbit by a series of 2-4 small scales.[5]
The body is stout. The dorsal scales are smooth or weakly keeled, in 23-25, occasionally in 19 or 21 longitudinal rows at midbody. Ventral scales and subcaudals (Myanmar, northeastern India and adjacent areas of China and Thailand) 137-176 and 36-62 respectively, subcaudals mixed paired and single, occasionally all unpaired (ventrals and subcaudals for southern China, Vietnam, Laos: 127-144 and 36-54, and Malaysian Peninsula: 133-137 and 22-28 respectively [fide Smith 1943:509]).[5]
Mountain pitviper,[2] mountain viper, Chinese pit viper, spotted pit viper, Arisan habu,[3] mountain pit viper, Chinese mountain pit viper.[6]
Found in Asia in Nepal, India (Assam, Sikkim), Myanmar, Tibet, China (Chekiang, Fujian, Szechwan, Yunnan, Xizang), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, West Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (Sumatra). The type locality is described as "Sikkim" (India).[1]
| Subspecies[4] | Taxon author[4] | Common name[2] | Geographic range[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| O. m. convictus | (Stoliczka, 1870) | Indo-Malayan mountain pitviper | Indonesia (Sumatra), West Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as far north as the central Annam Mountains. |
| O. m. makazayazaya | (Takahashi, 1922) | Taiwan mountain pitviper | Taiwan: Chuchuku, Arishan, Makazayazaya and Taipei. |
| O. m. monticola | (Günther, 1864) | Mountain pitviper | Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts), China (Sichuan, Tibet Autonomous Region, Yunnan, India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttaranchal and West Bengal), Myanmar (Chin, Kachin and Shan) and Nepal. |
| O. m. zayuensis | (Jiang, 1977) | Zayuan mountain pitviper | China, Tibet Autonomous Region: in Zayü and Mêdog counties at 1,800-2,200 m elevation. |
| O. m. zhaokentangi | Zhao, 1995 | Gaoligong mountain pitviper | Goaligong Shan, north of Pianma, Lushui County, Yunnan Province, China. |
