Is the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper venomous?

Yes. The Pingbian Mountain Pitviper (Ovophis anitae) is venomous and belongs to the Viperidae family (viper). Its bite is considered high risk to people. Treat any bite as a medical emergency.

Is the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Pingbian Mountain Pitviper is venomous, delivering venom through a bite.

Viperidae

Pingbian Mountain Pitviper

Venomous

Ovophis anitae

Pingbian Mountain Pitviper — Ovophis anitae, (c) beizi125, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

3 photographs of the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper. (c) beizi125, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC).

The Pingbian Mountain Pitviper (Ovophis anitae) is a venomous snake in the Viperidae family.

If you are bitten

This is a venomous snake. Treat any bite as a medical emergency: stay calm, keep the bitten limb still and roughly level with the heart, remove rings and tight clothing, and get to emergency care immediately. Do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, apply ice, or try to suck out venom. Call your local emergency number or poison center.

Family: Viperidae
Danger: high

About the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper

Ovophis anitae, or the Pingbian mountain pitviper, is a species of mountain pit viper endemic to China and northern Vietnam. Like all pit vipers, it is venomous. Originally, O. anitae was named Ovophis malhotrae by Zeng et al. (2023), but was renamed as that name was unavailable. Both names are in honour of Dr. Anita Malhotra of Bangor University for her molecular biology work on Asian pitvipers.

Description

Ovophis anitae is a wide, dark brown snake with a triangular head, ~6-6.5 meters long from snout to vent. It has a black marking on each side of its body, it is dark brown dorsally and on the sides of its head, with cream-orange stripes from its eyes towards its neck which contain light brown spots. Its tail shows small white spots on the dorsal side.

The Pingbian mountain pitviper is distinguished from its relative species by various scale morphologies.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Pingbian Mountain Pitviper

Is the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper venomous?: Yes. The Pingbian Mountain Pitviper (Ovophis anitae) is venomous and belongs to the Viperidae family (viper). Its bite is considered high risk to people. Treat any bite as a medical emergency.
Is the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Pingbian Mountain Pitviper is venomous, delivering venom through a bite.
Is the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper dangerous?: This is a venomous snake. Treat any bite as a medical emergency: stay calm, keep the bitten limb still and roughly level with the heart, remove rings and tight clothing, and get to emergency care immediately. Do not apply a tourniquet, cut the wound, apply ice, or try to suck out venom. Call your local emergency number or poison center.

If you are bitten by the Pingbian Mountain Pitviper

A venomous snakebite is a medical emergency. Call your local emergency number immediately. In the US, dial 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Get away from the snake and stay calm. Most bites worsen when people panic or try again to handle the snake.
Call 911 or Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) right away. Antivenom works best when given early.
Note the time of the bite and, from a safe distance, the snake's color and pattern, a phone photo is enough. Do not chase it.
Keep the bitten limb still and at roughly heart level. Sit or lie down and limit movement.
Remove rings, watches, and tight clothing near the bite before swelling starts.
Gently wash the bite with soap and water and cover it with a clean, dry dressing.

Do not

Do not cut the wound or try to suck out the venom.
Do not apply a tourniquet or ice.
Do not drink alcohol or caffeine.
Do not take aspirin or ibuprofen, they can worsen bleeding. Acetaminophen is safer for pain.
Do not try to catch or kill the snake. A dead snake can still bite by reflex.

First-aid guidance adapted from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC NIOSH), Venomous Snakes. Educational only; always follow the instructions of emergency responders.

More Viperidae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards: Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits: Viperidae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Ovophis
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Ovophis anitae

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.