Protobothrops jerdonii
Protobothrops jerdonii, also known commonly as Jerdon's pit viper, the yellow-speckled pit viper, and the oriental pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to India, Nepal, Myanmar, China, and Vietnam. Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Etymology
The specific name, jerdonii, is in honor of British herpetologist Thomas C. Jerdon, who collected the type series.The subspecific name, bourreti, is in honour of French herpetologist René Léon Bourret.
Description
Males of P. jerdonii grow to a maximum total length of, which includes a tail length of ; females grow to, with a tail length of.Scalation: dorsal scales in 21 longitudinal rows at midbody ; snout length a little more than twice diameter of eye; head above, except for large internasals and supraoculars, covered by small, unequal, smooth scales that are feebly imbricate or juxtaposed; first labial completely separated from nasal scales by a suture; internasals separated by 1–2 small scales; 6–9 small scales in line between supraoculars; 7–8 upper labials, third and fourth beneath eye, in contact with subocular or separated by at most a single series of small scales; ventrals: males 164–188, females 167–193; subcaudals: males 50–78, females 44–76.