Trimeresurus gracilis
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Trimeresurus gracilis, commonly known as the Taiwan pit viper or Taiwan mountain pitviper, is a venomous pit viper species endemic to Taiwan. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species is known as kikushi habu in Japanese.
Trimeresurus gracilis is a small snake with a total length up to 60 cm (24 in). Scalation includes 19 (or 21) rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 144–149 ventral scales, 43–53 subcaudal scales, and 7–8 supralabial scales. It is found only in Taiwan, above 2,000 m (6,600 ft) above sea level. The type locality given is "Mt. Noko, Nanto". According to Zhao and Adler (1993), this would be "Mt. Nôkô, Nanto Co., central Formosa" (Mount Nengkaoshan, Nantou County, Taiwan).
In a study were results that negated a commonly believed inference relating to the close affinity of T. monticola and T. okinawensis, and also suggested a sister relationship between T. okinawensis and T. gracilis. Phylogenetic relationships revealed in this study suggested that the genus Trimeresurus dispersed into the Ryukyu region at least three times, and that T. flavoviridis and T. tularensis from the central Ryukyus used to be more widespread and diverse... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoológico Miguél Álvarez del Toro | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Kikuchi Habu sighting in Taroko National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 14 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Kikuchi Habu in Taroko National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to May, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Kikuchi Habu sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Taroko National Park, in our data
Taroko National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Kikuchi Habu sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Kikuchi Habu is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Taroko National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
