Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who is the deadliest of them all? A question that we
all need to know the answer to! In Thailand we are often bumping into some
of our biggest fears and snakes appear at the top of most peoples list. So
which snake is the one that if we bump into, well, we really do need to make
sure we have the latest ADIDAS trainers on ready to make a speedy
getaway? Well the Malayan Pit viper is the daddy of deadliness! It’s length is
usually less than 1 meter although the female Malayan Pit Vipers are the
larger and fatter snakes. They mainly live in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Java,
Sumatra, Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma, and China.
These vipers are similar to North American “copperhead” snakes. They prefer
dry, flat areas. They are known as lazy snakes. They may not move out of the
way at all if someone is walking right toward them. After they bite they are
known to remain in the same location. There are thousands of bites per year
in Malaysia and Thailand from this snake.
These snakes are so dangerous when handled because they are not
consistent with their behavior. One day they will be calm. The next, or the
next 10 minutes – they will violently strike out lightening fast. Their preferred
habitat is under dry leaves, wood, or rocks. They are active during the night
mostly, especially during rain.
The Malayan Pit Viper is more
known by its nickname, Finger
rotters – given by Al Coritz,
Viperkeeper on YouTube. If
they get you in the finger –
you’ll likely lose part of your
finger, hand, or arm without
immediate care. As you can
see in this image, the effect of
a bite can be devestating!