Protobothrops mucrosquamatus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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 Taroko National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 14 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwanese Habu in Taroko National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April, July–August and October–December, the lowest months.
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.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Taiwanese Habu sightings, Taroko National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Cuc Phuong National Park (Vietnam, about 40%).
Same family: Viperidae
The closest relatives of the Taiwanese Habu that you can see in Taroko National Park (family Viperidae, Vipers) are Chinese Green Tree Viper (about 20%) and Kikuchi Habu (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Taiwanese Habu is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Taroko National Park (7 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.
