Vipers of Thailand

Daboia siamensis - Siamese Russell's Viper in habitat
Daboia siamensis - Siamese Russell's Viper
Daboia siamensis - Siamese Russell's Viper in its habitat in East Thailand

Thailand is home to a large variety of vipers. The majority are pit vipers that are easily recognized by the presence of a heat-sensing pit on each cheek.
At this point, the Siamese Russell’s Viper, Daboia siamensis, is the only viper in Thailand that lacks those heat-sensing pits. At the same time it is also arguably the most dangerous of all the vipers. Being terrestrial, very well camouflaged, equipped with a highly potent venom, and living mostly in farm lands, it is like a living landmine.

The vipers are one of our favorite groups of snakes. There is just something about their usually stout bodies, triangular heads and most of all the look in their eyes.

In the coming years the viper species list will likely increase a bit. We have seen various vipers that will likely be described as new species in the near future (edit: One of those has now been added, Protobothrops kelomohy).

Vipers – Family Viperidae

True Vipers – Subfamily Viperinae

  1. Daboia siamensis – Siamese Russell’s Viper

Pit Vipers – Subfamily Crotalinae

  1. Calloselasma rhodostoma – Malayan Pit Viper
  2. Ovophis convictus – Malayan Mountain Pit Viper
  3. Ovophis monticola – Himalayan Mountain Pit Viper
  4. Protobothrops kelomohy – Omkoi Lance-headed Pit Viper
  5. Trimeresurus albolabris – White-lipped Pit Viper
  6. Trimeresurus cf. albolabris – Red-eyed White-lipped Pit Viper
  7. Trimeresurus cardamomensis – Cardamom Mountains Pit Viper
  8. Trimeresurus sabahi fucatus – Siamese Peninsula Pit Viper
  9. Trimeresurus gumprechti – Gumprecht’s Pit Viper
  10. Trimeresurus hageni – Hagen’s Pit Viper
  11. Trimeresurus kanburiensis – Kanburi Pit Viper
  12. Trimeresurus macrops – Large-eyed Pit Viper
  13. Trimeresurus nebularis – Clouded Pit Viper
  14. Trimeresurus phuketensis – Phuket Pit Viper
  15. Trimeresurus popeiorum – Pope’s Pit Viper (northern region)
  16. Trimeresurus cf. popeiorum – Pope’s Pit Viper (western region)
  17. Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus – Mangrove Pit Viper
  18. Trimeresurus sumatranus – Sumatra Pit Viper
  19. Trimeresurus venustus – Beautiful Pit Viper
  20. Trimeresurus vogeli – Vogel’s Pit Viper
  21. Trimeresurus wiroti – Wirot’s Pit Viper
  22. Tropidolaemus wagleri – Wagler’s Pit Viper