Protobothrops mucrosquamatus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Protobothrops mucrosquamatus is a pit viper species endemic to Asia. Common names include: brown-spotted pit viper, Taiwanese habu and pointed-scaled pit viper. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species was first described by Theodore Cantor in 1839.
Males grow to a maximum total length of 112 cm (44 in) with a tail length of 19.5 cm (7.7 in). Females grow to a maximum total length of 116 cm (46 in) with a tail length of 20.5 cm (8.1 in). The hemipenes are spinose. Scalation: dorsal scales in 25 longitudinal rows at midbody; scales on upper surface of head, small, each scale keeled posteriorly; internasals 5–10 times size of adjacent scales, separated by 3–4 scales; supraoculars, long, narrow, undivided, 14–16 small interoculars in line between them; 2 scales on line between upper preocular and nasal scale; 9–11 upper labials, first upper labial separated from nasal by suture; 2–3 small scales between upper labials and subocular; 2–3 rows of temporal scales above upper labials smooth, above those scales keeled; ventrals 200–218; subcaudals 76–91, all paired.
Color pattern: grayish or olive brown above, with dorsal series of large brown, black-edged spots... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 2 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwanese Habu sighting in Kaohsiung on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 11th most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwanese Habu in Kaohsiung on a given day, against under 5% in January, March–April and June, the lowest months. That is one of Kaohsiung's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 25 mm in February.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Taiwanese Habu sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Taiwanese Habu sightings, Kaohsiung ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Taipei (Taiwan, about 20%) and Taichung (Taiwan, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Taiwanese Habu is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Kaohsiung (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
