Himalayan Halysotter
| Himalayan Halysotter | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Gloydius himalayanus | ||||||||||||
| ( Günther , 1864) |
The gloydius himalayanus ( Gloydius Himalayanus ) is a snake from the subfamily of the pit vipers (Crotalinae) within the vipers (Viperidae).
features
The Himalayan Halysotter is a medium-sized snake with an average body length of about 65 cm. The back is light brown and can vary from gray to dark brown. The snake has a series of dark brown spots on its back, which alternate with a row of spots on the flanks. A dark band extends from the eyes to the corner of the mouth, the shields of the upper lip have dark speckles on a light background. The belly is light gray with fine dots. The body scales of the snake are strongly keeled and form 21 rows of scales in the middle of the body. The ventral side consists of 147 to 175 ventralia , which are followed by an undivided anal and 32 to 52 subcaudalia .
The head is elongated and covered with symmetrically arranged scales. The snake's distinct pit organs lie between the eyes and the nostrils . Above the mouth opening are seven upper lip shields ( supralabials ), two of the posterior ones are fused with the temporal shields and thus form large post-temporal shields. A pair of pre- and postocularia each lie on the eyes and separate them from the supralabials.
The Himalayan Halysotter brings her young alive.
distribution and habitat
The Himalayan Halysotter is a distinct high mountain species and lives exclusively in the southern areas of the Himalayas in India ( Kashmir , Punjab ), Pakistan and Nepal at altitudes over 1500 to 4000 m above sea level .
The snake prefers tree-lined scree and is mostly found in caves or crevices between the stones.
Way of life
The Himalayan Halysotter is mainly active at night. It hibernates from October to April, but on warm winter days it comes out of hiding and sunbathes. Their diet consists mainly of skinks and other lizards.