Sulawesi temple viper

Thanks Rosa.

That is awesome!

Thanks Jason!

Woww! Cool!

Thanks ulvalactuca and ismael. Yes, Scott, you're probably right.

Sergio's maybe (rightly) thinking of jararaca (or bushmaster and fer-de-lance to the north of his position ;-)

Phenomenal series.

Thanks Sergio, Brendan, ceherzog and Tom. I know these are deadly but I still think anyone is very lucky to see any snakes at all in the rainforest. They are extremely elusive.

Nice little viper Dan! Glad you found it the easy way:-)

I would keep my distance from that one...must have been thrilling to see.

Excellent series!

My ugliest nightmare! Indeed, walking on a jungle has its dangers... I am glad you came back well!

Thanks Rieko. Okay, Scott, sounds like the taxonomists might have some work.

Nice spotting.

You're welcome Dan. I don't think so, but there's likely to be some division of Tropidolaemus subannulatus in the (near?) future. I just noticed that despite all of the body color/pattern variation observed, all of the specimens seemed to have the double eyestripe (including the Borneo specimens)...like juvenile Tropidolaemus (Trimeresurus) wagleri (the species complex from which it was resurrected in 2007 and which does not occur in Sulawesi based on that revision).

Thanks for the ID and info Scott. Think the double eyestripe is just a local variation or subspecies?

There are just 3 pit vipers in Sulawesi (My ref Koch 2011): Trimeresurus fasciatus is endemic to Tanahjampea Island and is tannish or brown and banded. Tropidolaemus laticinctus (red-banded or dark color morph). And the last a green colored viper that is (for now) classified as Tropidolaemus subannulatus [resurrected in 2007 by Vogel et al in a revision of Tropidolaemus (Trimeresurus) wagleri]. Contrary to what the entry in Wikipedia mentions, Cryptelytrops (Trimeresurus) albolabris does not occur in Sulawesi. The thing that gets it for me in your spotting Dan is the double eyestripe, white over brown.