Trimeresurus malcolmi

Trimeresurus malcolmi is a species of pit viper.^[4] The species is native to East Malaysia. Common names include: Malcolm's pitviper,^[5] Malcolm's tree viper,^[6] and Mt. Kinabalu pit viper.^[7]

Trimeresurus malcolmi
Trimeresurus malcolmi from Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Trimeresurus
Species:	T. malcolmi
Binomial name
Trimeresurus malcolmi Loveridge, 1938
Synonyms
Trimeresurus sumatranus malcolmi Loveridge, 1938 Trimeresurus sumatranus malcolmi — Golay et al., 1993[2] Parias malcolmi — Malhotra & Thorpe, 2004 Trimeresurus (Parias) malcolmi — David et al., 2011[3]

Etymology

The specific name, malcolmi, is in honor of British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith.^[8]

Description

The scalation of Trimeresurus malcolmi includes 19 rows of dorsal scales at midbody, 163-174 ventral scales, 64-81/61-64 subcaudal scales in males/females, and 8-9 supralabial scales. It can also wiggle its tail back and forth when threatened.

Common names

Trimeresurus malcolmi is known by several common names, including Kinabalu green pit viper,^[1] Malcolm's pitviper,^[5] Malcolm's tree viper,^[6] Mt. Kinabalu pit viper, and Malcolm's pit viper.^[7]

Geographic range

Trimeresurus malcolmi is found in East Malaysia at elevations of 1,000–1,600 metres (3,280–5,250 feet). The type locality given is "Sungii River, near Bundutuan, Mount Kinabalu, British North Borneo Sabah, at an altitude circa 3,000 feet [914 m]".^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Trimeresurus malcolmi is forest.^[1]

Reproduction

Trimeresurus malcolmi is oviparous.^[3]