Bamboo viper

Appearance

Rostral scale as deep as broad or broader than deep; upper head-scales small, smooth, imbricate; supraocular scale narrow, rarely broken up; internasals in contact or separated by one or two scales; 8 to 13 scales on a line between the supraoculars; usually one or two, rarely three, series of scales between the suboculars and the labials; 9 to 12 upper labials, second usually forming the anterior border of the loreal pit, third largest; temporal scales smooth.

Dorsal scales more or less distinctly keeled, in 21 rows. Ventrals 145-175; anal scale entire; subcaudals in two rows 53-76.

Upper parts 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.

Grows to a total length of 2.5 feet ; tail 5.5 inches .

Naming

Bamboo pit viper, Indian tree viper, bamboo snake, Indian green tree viper, green tree viper, bamboo viper, bamboo pitviper, ''boodro pam'', grass-green snake, green pit viper.

Behavior

''T. gramineus'' is arboreal and nocturnal. When threatened, it is aggressive and does not hesitate to bite.

Habitat

It is found in bamboo groves and forests, usually near streams.

Reproduction

''T. gramineus'' is oviparous. Adult females lay eggs in clutches of 6 to 20. The hatchlings resemble the adults, with the addition of dark dorsal crossbars, and are about 12 centimetres in total length.

Food

It feeds on lizards and birds.