Barkatofficial at 10:32, 19 April 2026

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{{Short description|Species of snake}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Bamboo Pit Viper macrogiants.jpg
| caption =
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Srinivasulu, C. |author2=Srinivasulu, B. |author3=Deepak, V. |author4=Achyuthan, N.S. |author5=Das, A. |author6=Kulkarni, N.U. |date=2013 |title=''Trimeresurus gramineus'' |volume=2013 |article-number=e.T178245A1528655 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-1.RLTS.T178245A1528655.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon = Craspedocephalus gramineus
| authority = ([[George Shaw (biologist)|Shaw]], 1802)
| range_map = Trimeresurus gramineus distribution.png
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=rdb/>
| synonyms = {{Species list
|Coluber graminaeus|Shaw, 1802
|Coluber viridis|Bechstein, 1802
|Vipera viridis|
|Trimeresurus elegans|
|Trimeresurus viridis|
|Lachesis graminaeus|
|Lachesis gramineus|
|Trimeresurus occidentalis|
|Trimeresurus (Craspedocephalus) gramineus|
|Craspedocephalus gramineus
|}}
}}
[[File:BambooPitViper macrogiants B.jpg|thumb|at [[Matheran]]]]
'''''Craspedocephalus gramineus''''', known as the '''bamboo pit viper''', '''Indian green pit viper''', or '''common green pit viper''',<ref name="indiansnakes.org">{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiansnakes.org/content/bamboo-pit-viper-0|title=Our Mission is to conserve snakes in their natural habitat and reduce human mortality due to snake bites through research, education & outreach activities}}</ref> is a [[venomous snake|venomous]] [[pit viper]] [[species]] found in the southern and north eastern parts of India. No [[subspecies]] are currently recognized.

==Description==
The [[rostral scale]] is as deep as broad or broader than deep. The upper head-scales are small, smooth, imbricate; [[supraocular scale]] narrow, rarely broken up. The [[internasals]] are contact or separated by one or two scales. There are 8 to 13 scales on a line between the [[supraoculars]]; usually one or two, rarely three, series of scales between the [[suboculars]] and the [[Labial scales|labials]]; 9 to 12 [[upper labials]], second usually forming the anterior border of the [[loreal pit]], third largest; [[temporal scales]] smooth. The dorsal scales are more or less distinctly keeled, in 21 (rarely 19 or 23) rows; [[ventrals]] 145–175; [[anal scale]] entire; [[subcaudals]] in two rows 53–76.

The upper parts are usually bright green, rarely yellowish, greyish, or purplish brown, with or without black, brown, or reddish spots; usually a light, white, yellow, or red streak along the outer row of scales; end of tail frequently yellow or red; lower parts green, yellow, or whitish.<ref name=Bou90/>

It grows to a total length of {{convert|3.25|ft|m}}. The tail is {{convert|5.5|in|cm}} in length.<ref name=Bou90>[[George Albert Boulenger|Boulenger GA]]. 1890. ''The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma. Reptilia and Batrachia''. Secretary of State for India in Council. (Taylor and Francis, Printers.) London. xviii + 541 pp. (''Trimeresurus'', p. 425 & ''Trimeresurus gramineus'', pp. 429–430.)</ref>

{{Gallery |mode=packed
|Bamboo pit viper - head profile.jpg|Head
|Bamboo Pit.jpg|In Raajmachi, [[Lonavala]]
|Trimeresurus gramineus.jpg|In Satara, Maharashtra
}}

==Taxonomy and common names==
It was first described in 1802 as ''[[Coluber]] graminaeus''.<ref name=rdb/> No [[subspecies]] are recognized.<ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS|id=634915|taxon=Trimeresurus gramineus |access-date=27 September 2006}}</ref><ref name=rdb/>

Common names include: bamboo pit viper,<ref name=Kha06>Khaire, N. 2006. ''A Guide to the Snakes of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka''. Indian Herpetological Society. Pune, India. (Photographic guide with 61 species.)</ref><ref name="Smi43">[[Malcolm Arthur Smith|Smith MA]]. 1943. ''The Fauna of British India, Ceylon and Burma, Including the Whole of the Indo-Chinese Sub-region. Reptilia and Amphibia. Vol. III. – Serpentes''. Secretary of State for India. (Taylor & Francis, Printers). London. xii + 583 pp., 166 figures. (''Trimeresurus gramineus'', pp. 515–517, Fig. 164.)</ref> Indian tree viper,<ref name="Meh87">Mehrtens JM. 1987. ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-8069-6460-X}}.</ref> bamboo snake, Indian green tree viper, green tree viper,<ref name=USN91>U.S. Navy. 1991. ''Poisonous Snakes of the World''. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. {{ISBN|0-486-26629-X}}.</ref> bamboo viper,<ref name="P&G77">[[Hampton Wildman Parker|Parker HW]], Grandison AGC. 1977. ''Snakes – a natural history. Second Edition''. British Museum (Natural History) and Cornell University Press. 108 pp. 16 plates. LCCCN 76-54625. {{ISBN|0-8014-1095-9}} (cloth), {{ISBN|0-8014-9164-9}} (paper).</ref> bamboo pitviper,<ref name=Gum04>Gumprecht A, Tillack F, [[Nikolai Liutsianovich Orlov|Orlov NL]], [[Ashok Captain|Captain A]], Ryabov S. 2004. ''Asian Pitvipers''. GeitjeBooks Berlin. 1st Edition. 368 pp. {{ISBN|3-937975-00-4}}.</ref> ''boodro pam'', grass-green snake,<ref>Shaw. 1802. p. 420.</ref> and green pit viper.<ref name=Das2002/>

==Geographic range==
The Bamboo Pit Viper is a widespread species throughout the peninsular India. It is also found albeit very scarcely in the eastern region of India spanning from Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

The [[Type locality (biology)|type locality]] is "[[Visakhapatnam|Vizagapatam]], India", which is based on [[Patrick Russell (herpetologist)|Russell]] (1796).<ref name=McD99/>

==Habitat==
Despite its name, the species is not particularly associated to Bamboo thickets. It is an arboreal snake, usually found on low to medium high bushes and trees, and often near [[stream]]s.<ref name=Das2002>Das, Indraneil. 2002. ''A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of India''. Ralph Curtis Books. Sanibel Island, Florida. 144 pp. {{ISBN|0-88359-056-5}}. (''Trimeresurus gramineus'', p. 65.)</ref> Being a nocturnal creature, it is found at lower heights as it sits in ambush at night. During daytime, these snakes ascend at greater heights.

==Behaviour==
''C. gramineus'' is [[arboreal]] and [[nocturnal]]. When threatened, it is aggressive and does not hesitate to bite.<ref name=Das2002/> The venom is hemotoxic and neurotoxic.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

==Diet==
It feeds on [[lizards]], [[rats]], and [[birds]].<ref name=Das2002/>

==Reproduction==
''C. gramineus'' is [[ovoviviparous]]. Adult females give birth to 6 to 11 young, which measure up to {{cvt|4.5|in}} in length.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name=McD99>McDiarmid RW, [[Jonathan A. Campbell|Campbell JA]], Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).</ref>
<ref name=rdb>{{NRDB species|genus=Trimeresurus|species=gramineus|date=21 January|year=2019}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
*[[Theodore Edward Cantor|Cantor, T.E.]] 1839. ''Spicilegium serpentium indicorum'' [parts 1 and 2]. Proc. Zool. Soc. London '''7''': 31–34, 49–55.
*Gumprecht, A.; Tillack, F.; [[Nikolai Liutsianovich Orlov|Orlov, N.L.]]; [[Ashok Captain|Captain, A.]] & Ryabow, S. 2004. ''Asian Pit Vipers''. Geitje Books. Berlin. 368 pp.
*[[Patrick Russell (herpetologist)|Russell, P.]] 1796. ''An Account of Indian Serpents, Collected on the Coast of Coromandel; Containing Descriptions and Drawings of Each Species, Together with Experiments and Remarks on Their Several Poisons''. George Nicol. London. viii + 91 pp. + Plates I.- XLVI.
*[[George Shaw (biologist)|Shaw, G.]] 1802. ''General Zoology, or Systematic Natural History: Vol. III., Part II''. G. Kearsley. (Thomas Davison, Printer). London. iv + pp. 313–615 + Plates 87–140. (''"Coluber Gramineus"'', pp. 420–421.).
*[[Leonhard Hess Stejneger|Stejneger, L.]] 1927. The green pit viper, ''Trimeresurus gramineus'', in China. Proceedings of the United States National Museum '''72''' (19): 1–10.
{{refend}}

{{Trimeresurus}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q2717961}}

[[Category:Craspedocephalus|gramineus]]
[[Category:Reptiles described in 1802]]
[[Category:Endemic reptiles of India]]
[[Category:Snakes of Asia]]

Craspedocephalus gramineus - Revision history

Barkatofficial at 10:32, 19 April 2026