The Night The Snake Got Insulted

Helen Wong shouted "Earthworm!" when she saw the culprit above. It is understandable because the animal is pretty small and it was raining. After a few seconds of time lag, I shouted "Snake!" and Helen jumped three steps back at lightning speed. It took me some time to register the identity of the snake because of the unusual (for this species) pattern on this individual's body. But the characteristic red eyes gave it away. It is a juvenile Shore Pit-viper! Like previous encounters, this snake was crawling on the ground. It was escaping (Yes! Snakes are shy!), and I need a good photograph of it for documentation, so I stopped it by pulling gently at its tail (Not advisable! If I were to be bitten, the fault lies entirely on me). This encounter is on 7 November 2006 (7.15 pm) at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

Another Close Encounter With Shorey

My good luck with Shore Pit-vipers (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus) continues. A small beautiful individual crossed my (gravel) path on 12 October 2006 (Thursday) in Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve at about 7.30 pm. The snake was doing "it's thing" but I interrupted it for awhile to take some shots (with a camera). Thereafter, it slithered away into the bush.

This is the fourth time (17 May 06 @ Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Swamp; 18 Aug 06 @ Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Swamp; 28 Aug 06 @ Lim Chu Kang Road End Mangroves) which I have chanced upon this snake, and it was always on the ground.

Ria Tan of Wild Singapore sent me the following photographs of her sightings of Shore Pit-vipers which were all taken at SBWR (on 27 May 2002, 4 October 2003, and 2 November 2003) but the snakes were all off ground.

These snakes rest on high ground during the day and hunt for prey on the ground in the night? Will be interesting to find out.

"Curse" of "The Devil-Eyed"

A Shore Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus) was sighted by Charlene Yeong in Lim Chu Kang mangroves on 28 August 2006, at about 9 pm. This venomous snake, as in my previous sightings in Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Swamp on 7 May 2006 and 18 August 2006, was lying on the ground coiling its body around mangrove roots and branch twigs. So please watch where you step and do not kill the snake under your feet! Oh, of course this is for your own safety too.

Somehow, I found a strange and unproven correlation between the presence of Short Pit Viper and the absence of crustacean-eating homalopsines (Cantoria violacea, Fordonia leucobalia and Gerarda prevostiana), and vice versa. This is the trend for all 6 nights:

4 September 2005 (Cantoria violacea)
7 May 2006 (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)
18 August 2006 (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)
19 August 2006 (Cantoria violacea and Fordonia leucobalia)
27 August 2006 (Fordonia leucobalia and Gerarda prevostiana)
28 August 2006 (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

Could environmental factors be the cause of this observations?

Shore Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

This Shore Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus) crossed our (Me, Chan Kwok Wai, and Norman Lim) path in Pasir Ris Park Mangrove Swamp on 7 May 2006 at about 9 pm. This is an arboreal species (Lim & Lee, 1989; Lim & Lim, 1992) and is often observed on low bushes (Cox et al., 1998) but was, surprisingly, moving on soft mud on that day. They spend much of their time coiled up in trees and shrubs where they ambush small mammals and birds (Lim & Lee, 1989). These nocturnal snakes also feed on lizards, frogs, and other small animals (Cox et al., 1998). In captivity, this viper will take mice and day-old chicks (Lim & Lee, 1989).

These venomous snakes have a reputation of being bad-tempered and quick to strike (Lim & Lee, 1989; Lim & Lim, 1992; Cox et al., 1998). Fortunately, the one we encountered did not show any of that nature.

Shore Pit Vipers give live birth to 7 to 15 young of about 24 cm in length (Lim & Lee, 1989; Cox et al., 1998). Lim & Lee (1989) reported that captive snakes from Thailand gave birth in the months of April and May. An adult reaches a length of about 1 m (Lim & Lee, 1989; Lim & Lim, 1992).

This species inhabits southern Thailand, Peninsula Malaysia, Singapore, Tenasserim and Sumatra (Cox et al., 1998).

From left to right: Front of head; Dorsal side of head; Left side of body.

* Photographs from Mr Chan Kwok Wai.

REFERENCES

Cox, M. J., van Dijk, P. P., Nabhitabhata, J. & Thirakhupt, K., 1998. A photographic guide to snakes and other reptiles of Peninsula Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd, p. 12.

Lim, F. L. K. & Lee, M. T. M., 1989. Fascinating Snakes of Southeast Asia – an Introduction. Tropical Press, Kuala Lumpur, p. 30.

Lim, K. K. P. & Lim, F. L. K., 1992. A Guide To The Amphibians & Reptiles Of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, p. 147.