About Tropidolaemus wagleri (Boie, 1827)
Sexual Dimorphism Overview
Wagler's pit viper, with the scientific name Tropidolaemus wagleri (Boie, 1827), is sexually dimorphic. Females reach approximately 1 m in total length including the tail, with black bodies marked by yellow stripes. Males typically grow no longer than 75 cm, have large triangular heads and relatively thin green bodies.
Arboreal Adaptations
This species is almost entirely arboreal, and has prehensile tails that help with climbing.
Color Pattern Phases
Wagler's pit vipers occur in a wide range of colors and patterns, commonly called "phases". In the past, some researchers classified these different phases as separate subspecies. Phases range widely: some have a black or brown base color with orange and yellow banding, others have a light green base color with yellow or orange banding, with many intermediate variations.
Geographic Range
The geographic range of Wagler's pit viper includes southern Vietnam (specifically the provinces of Minh Hai and Song Be), southern Thailand (recorded in the provinces of Phang Nga, Phuket, Pattani, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Tammarat, Narathiwat, and Yala), it is probably distributed across the entire Malay Peninsula in west Malaysia as well as on the island of Penang, and also occurs in Singapore and Indonesia, including on Sumatra, the islands of the Riau Archipelago, Bangka, Billiton, Nias, the Mentawai Islands (specifically Siberut), Natuna, and Karimata.
Taxonomic Revision
In a 2007 revision by Vogel et al, the Wagler's pit viper species complex was split into several taxa, including the resurrection of T. subannulatus. Western Philippine populations are classified as T. subannulatus, while populations on Mindanao include snakes assigned to both T. subannulatus and T. philippensis.
Taxon Distribution Distinction
Tropidolaemus subannulatus has a wide distribution across Central Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, while Wagler's pit viper is restricted to mainland Southeast Asia, extending south to Sumatra and Bangka in West Indonesia.
Preferred Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of Wagler's pit viper is forest, at altitudes ranging from sea level to 400 m (1,300 ft).
Reproduction
Sexually mature female Wagler's pit vipers produce live young via ovoviviparity. Litter size ranges from 15 to 41.
