Bamboo Pit Viper

 The Bamboo Pit Viper is a venomous pit viper species found in the southern part of India. The range of this species has been restricted to southern India especially widespread in a large area of Tamil Nadu. These snakes are also very rarely seen near Harishchandragad and some other mountain ranges of Western Ghats (Sahyadris in Maharashtra). They are also found albeit very scarcely in the eastern region of India spanning from Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. 

Bamboo Pit Vipers inhabit bamboo groves and forests, usually near streams. They can also be found in dry scrub forest. These snakes are usually bright green, rarely yellowish, greyish, or purplish-brown in color, with or without black, brown, or reddish spots. There is usually a light, white, yellow, or red streak along the outer row of scales. Their tail is frequently yellow or red in the end. Lower parts of the body are green, yellow, or whitish in color. 

Males are smaller than females with a distinctive white stripe above the lip running laterally down the length of the body giving rise to it's formal common name the 'White-Lipped Viper'. Both male and female have characteristically triangular shaped head with yellow/gold eyes containing vertical pupils. Can have orange/brown coloration on the tail. Little is known about the mating habits in Bamboo pit vipers. They are ovoviviparous which means that the eggs are incubated inside the mother and she gives birth to live snakelets. Female Bamboo Pit Vipers give birth to 6 to 11 young, which measure up to 4.5 in (110 mm) in length. Snakelets are born fully-developed and have to take care of themselves. The young have brightly marked tails which they use to attract small frogs and lizards in order to easier hunt them.

The Bamboo Pit Viper's fangs are a hollow tube hooked up to venom producing sacks behind the Pit Viper Fangs snakes eyes. Bamboo Pit Viper fangs are so long that they fold up to the roof of the viper's mouth so they will not bite. If a snake loses a fang, it will simply grow another one.

Bamboo pit vipers are arboreal slow moving snakes. They are active and hunt at night  by using heat sensing pit organs. Like most snakes, Bamboo Pit Vipers are solitary creatures and come together only to mate. Although being slow, these snakes defend themselves with fast strikes and bites if threatened or injured. When feeling danger they often vibrate their tail. Active at night and occasionally roosting in bushes during the day. 

The Bamboo Pit Viper is an ambush predator that will wait in a single position ready to strike. They are a viper and have relatively long retractable fangs and will bite readily at anything that comes within range that they think is a food item. Generally not prone to give chase but will hold their ground if they feel cornered. Not actively aggressive but will not hesitate to bite if touched or scared. A bite from a Bamboo Viper should be considered very serious and medical attention should be sought immediately. Although not known to be deadly serious damage can occur from a bite even if treated and complications can always arise.