Bornean Leaf-Nosed Pitviper Snake

Facts about Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake. "Scientific name for is Trimeresurus borneensis". Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake is a Trimeresurus type of poisonous pit viper snake that belongs to the Viperidae family. The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snakes are native to the island of Borneo in Indonesia, and they are largely found in the woodlands below a height of 3,710 feet (1128 meters). Although the tail of this snake variety is prehensile, adult snakes are typically on the woodland floor. Juvenile Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snakes may be in low flora. The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake attains its name because of its distended scales, which protrude in the shape of a leaf above its nose and nostril. The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snakes are fairly widespread in the plain woodlands of Borneo. It is evenly at home on the land or in the lower branches of trees and shrubs. The body colors of the Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake enable it to mix with the dead leaves on the woodland ground.

Features of Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake

The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper is a medium size snake that attains a body length of 33 inches (84 cm) when fully grown. Scalation of these poisonous snake varieties comprises 19 to 21 rows of dorsal scales at the middle part of their body. There are 152 to 180 ventral scales, unbroken anal scale, 8 to 11 supralabial scales and 45 to 58 alienated sub-caudal scales.

The body color of the Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snakes varies to a great extent. The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper may have a brown color body with dark brown color saddles, or light tan with some darker marks, or even vivid yellow with darker marks. The juvenile snakes are capable of climbing vegetation, but as these individuals show adult snakes will climb well.

Though the Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper is diurnally active, it avoids the high daylight temperatures by limiting its activity to the night. Once the prey has been found the Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake evaluates the distance and afterward strikes. They are capable of striking from a distance that is half their body length away and can achieve so within a second. The hollow fangs that are stored against the top of their mouth will turn downwards, and the snake will bite the prey and inject poison. The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snakes are unique in that they boast a specialized muscle, situated between the ectopterygoid and the poison gland. Compression of the muscle causes evacuation of poison from the gland. The toxicity of the poison differs between varieties and is generally associated with the size of the snake.

Diet of Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake

Mostly, the Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper feeds on small creatures, reptiles and amphibians.

Behavior of Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper snake

The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper is a peaceful and docile snake, but it will bite when it is disturbed. Similar to all vipers, these snake varieties are ambush killers and will sit and wait for their prey. The Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper is an ambush predator. They do not vigorously hunt, but instead they make use of their heat sensing skills to their maximum benefit. They glide along plants, trees and the ground following heat tracks and chemosensory details collected from their flickering tongues. Their divided tongue conveys smell molecules to a sensory organ on the top of their mouth. The distance between the two forks enables a chemical gradient to form that the snake can follow. As soon as they have set up a perfect spot where in they are at ease, relatively secluded and right away adjacent to an animal track, they sit and stay.

The average lifespan of the Bornean Leaf-nosed Pitviper is 25 years.