Ovophis zayuensis
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| Ovophis zayuensis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Ovophis |
| Species: | O. zayuensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Ovophis zayuensis Jiang, 1977 | |
Ovophis zayuensis, or the Zayuan mountain pitviper, is a species of mountain pit viper endemic to China and India.[1][2][3][4] As with all pitvipers, O. zayuensis is venomous.[5] Originally, the snake was considered a subspecies of O. monticola, before being elevated to species level in 1995.[6]
Ovophis zayuensis is a stout snake with a triangular head. Its ventral side is a plain pale yellow with no markings. The body displays black blotches which are progressively darker the further towards the tail they are.[7]
The snake can be distinguished from similar species via its scale morphology.[7]