Daboia russelii

(Shaw & Nodder, 1797)

Vernacular names
English : Western Russel’s viper
French : Vipère de Russel indienne

Classification
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Viperidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
The species reaches up to 160 cm in length. Unmistakable, very large viper with broad and long head. Coloration is beige to grey-brown with black and white-edged darker brown oval blotches on flanks and back. Lips reddish.

Range and habitat
The species is found in southern Asia and occurs from eastern Pakistan to most of India, western Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Lives in secondary growth forest, forest edges, agricultural land, rice fields.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not listed
Status : The species remains at least locally common although its distribution is patchy. It is persecuted and locally collected for the trade to the point where the species is in global decline now.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

Back to “Vipers, Pitvipers and relatives” page