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Gloydius blomhoffii
Mamushi (AKA: Japanese Copperhead, Japanese Moccasin, Japanese Pit Viper, or Qichun) spotted along the trail to the Dewa Senzan Shrine atop Mount Haguro, in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Mamushi are reddish-brown, coppery colored snakes of the viper family. They have thick bodies, 40-70 cm long, with chestnut-brown rings. Their diet consists mainly of frogs, rats and mice, but also small birds and lizards.
In forests and surrounding farmland, from Hokkaido to Kyushu. During winter, copperheads may nest together communally or with other species of snakes.
Mamushi have temperature-sensitive pit organs on each side of the head, between the eye and nostril. This enables the snake to detect heat sources — like a mouse — and to strike and bite with accuracy, even in the dark. Mamushi have hollow fangs which they use to inject their venom. The Mamushi's poison is stronger than that of the feared Habu of Okinawa, but the volume injected is less. They do bite humans, usually if they are accidentally trodden on (they are often well camouflaged). Though painful, Mamushi bites are rarely fatal, although immediate medical attention is necessary.
Spotted on Jul 23, 2020
Submitted on Jul 26, 2020
4 Comments
Maria dB, yes, and similar size and demeanor to copperheads (at least the ones I have seen in Oklahoma) as well. But they also have the stripe across the eye, like many rattlesnake species I have seen.
Very nice spotting! They do look similar to the copperheads we see in North Carolina!
Thanks for the nomination! It is always a great honor to be considered.
“Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!”