Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 28, 2026

Protobothrops elegans

Protobothrops elegans is a pit viper species endemic to Japan in the southern Ryukyu Islands. No subspecies are currently recognized. Common names include: elegant pit viper, Sakishima habu (サキシマハブ), and elegant tree viper.

Last revised
Jun 28, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
409 w
Citations
16
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Protobothrops elegans
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Protobothrops
Species:
P. elegans
Binomial name
Protobothrops elegans
(Gray, 1849)
Synonyms
  • Craspedocephalus elegans
    Gray, 1849
  • Trimeresurus luteus
    Boettger, 1895
  • Lachesis luteus
    – Boulenger, 1896
  • Lachesis lutea
    – Boettger, 1898
  • Trimeresurus elegans
    – Stejneger, 1907
  • Trimeresurus mucrosq[uamatus]. elegans
    – Mell, 1929
  • Protobothrops elegans
    – Kraus, Mink & Brown, 19962

Protobothrops elegans is a pit viper species endemic to Japan in the southern Ryukyu Islands.13 No subspecies are currently recognized.34 Common names include: elegant pit viper,1345 Sakishima habu (サキシマハブ),6 and elegant tree viper.7

Description

Scalation of Protobothrops elegans includes 25 (sometimes 23) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 179–192 (males) or 182–196 (females) ventral scales, 63–90 subcaudal scales, and 8 (sometimes 7 or 9) supralabial scales.5

During 1965–2011, 2447 snakebites from this snake are reported with one fatality.8

Geographic distribution

Protobothrops elegans is found in Japan in the southern Ryukyu Islands, specifically in the Yaeyama Islands.1 The type locality is unknown. Boulenger listed it as "---- ?" while Gray's original 1849 description gives "West Coast of [North?] America." A restriction to "Ishigaki-Shima [Ryukyu Islands, Japan]" was proposed by Stejneger (1907).2

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Ota, H.; Kidera, N. (2018). "Protobothrops elegans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T96265465A96265478. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T96265465A96265478.en. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  2. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  3. Protobothrops elegans at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 15 August 2022.
  4. "Trimeresurus elegans". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  5. Gumprecht A, Tillack F, Orlov NL, Captain A, Ryabov S (2004). Asian Pitvipers. (First Edition). Berlin: GeitjeBooks. 368 pp. ISBN 3-937975-00-4.
  6. Mehrtens JM (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  7. Brown JH (1973). Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7.
  8. Matsuda, Seiko. 沖縄県における平成23 年の毒蛇咬症 [2011 Venomous Snakebite in Okinawa Prefecture] (PDF) (in Japanese). Okinawa Prefectural Institute of Health and Environment, Hygiene Science Group Eiko Maho. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2013-03-11.
Further reading

Further reading

  • Gray, J.E. (1849). Catalogue of the Specimens of Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum. London: Trustees of the British Museum. xv + 125 pp. (Craspedocephalus elegans, new species, p. 7.)