Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus (Gray, 1832)

Scientific Name

Scientific name: Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus (Gray, 1832).

Total Length

Males of this species reach a total length of 66.5 centimetres (26.2 in), while females reach 90 centimetres (35 in).

Tail Length

Maximum tail length is 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) for males and 14 centimetres (5.5 in) for females.

Midbody Scale Rows

At midbody, scales are arranged in 25 to 27 longitudinal rows.

Upper Labial Scales

There are 11 to 13 upper labial scales; the first upper labial is partially or completely fused with the nasal scale.

Supraocular Scales

The supraocular scales are very narrow, and sometimes split into smaller scales, with 12 to 15 scales between the two supraoculars.

Head Scales

Head scales are small, roughly equal in size, and either tuberculate or granular.

Temporal Scales

Temporal scales are keeled.

Body Coloration

Body coloration is highly variable: dorsal color ranges from olive and grayish to dark purplish brown; ventral color is whitish, greenish, or brown, and may be uniform or marked with brown spots.

Lateral Light Line

A light line on the first scale row bordering the ventrals may be either present or absent.

Head Coloration

The head is olive, heavily suffused with brown.

Ventral Scale Count

Males have 160 to 179 ventral scales, while females have 168 to 183 ventral scales.

Subcaudal Scale Count

Subcaudal scales are paired: males have 74 to 76 subcaudals, while females have 56 to 63.

Hemipenis Morphology

The hemipenes lack spines.

Distribution Range

This species occurs in Bangladesh, India, Burma, Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia (on the islands of Sumatra and Java).

Type Locality

Its type locality is recorded as "Singapore".