Trimeresurus nebularis
{{Short description|Species of snake}}
{{Speciesbox
| image =
| image_caption =
| status = vu
| genus = Trimeresurus
| species = nebularis
| authority = Vogel, David and Pauwels, 2004
}}File:Trimeresurus_nebularis_au_parc_de_Bako_(Malaisie).jpg
Trimeresurus nebularis (also known as the Cameron Highlands pit viper or the clouded pit viper) is a species of pit viper found in the Cameron Highlands District of west Malaysia and Thailand.{{Cite journal|last=Vogel|first=Gernot|last2=David|first2=Patrick|last3=Pauwels|first3=Olivier S. G.|date=2004-11-15|title=A review of morphological variation in Trimeresurus popeiorum (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae), with the description of two new species|url=https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.727.1.1|journal=Zootaxa|language=en|volume=727|issue=1|pages=1–63|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.727.1.1|issn=1175-5334}}
Etymology
The name Trimeresurus nebularis comes from the Latin word nebularis which means "from the clouds". This refers to the cloud forests that the species inhabits.{{Cite web |title=Trimeresurus nebularis |url=https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Trimeresurus&species=nebularis&search_param=((search='Trimeresurus+nebularis')) |access-date=2025-04-15 |website=The Reptile Database}}
Description
Males can be around {{Convert|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} in length and females can reach around {{Convert|95|cm|in|abbr=on}} in total length.{{Cite news |last=Nur Hazwanie Binti Abd Halim, Nurfarhana Hizan Binti Hijas, Ahmad Khaldun Ismail, Indraneil Das & Kaviarasu Munian |title=Trimeresurus nebularis Vogel, David & Pauwels, 2004 |url=https://www.mybis.gov.my/art/399 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240418225449/https://www.mybis.gov.my/art/399 |archive-date=2024-04-18 |access-date=2025-03-24 |work=Malaysia Biodiversity Information System (MyBIS) |language=en}} The body of T. nebularis is cylindrical and bright green with a small hue of blue. The pupils are vertical and usually have a yellowish-green iris. Both males and females usually have blue upper lips. The scales around the throat/chin area are yellowish green while the upper scales are greenish-blue. The tail is a brown rust color on its vertebral region and has a distinct line in between. The rust color and the green lateral color makes it distinguishable from other pit vipers. They reproduce ovovivparously, and males have long hemipenes with no spines.
Distribution and habitat
T. nebularis is restricted to high elevations above {{Convert|1000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. T. nebularis resides in both Thailand and Malaysia in the central part of the Titiwangsa Range in the Cameron Highlands. It has also been seen in Fraser’s Hill along with the Genting Highlands in the Pahang State in Malaysia.{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Choo Hock |last2=Tan |first2=Kae Yi |last3=Shan Ng |first3=Tzu |last4=Quah |first4=Evan S.H. |last5=Khaldun Ismail |first5=Ahmad |last6=Khomvilai |first6=Sumana |last7=Sitprija |first7=Visith |last8=Hong Tan |first8=Nget |date=6 February 2019 |title=Venomics of Trimeresurus (Popeia) nebularis, the Cameron Highlands Pit Viper from Malaysia: Insights into Venom Proteome, Toxicity and Neutralization of Antivenom |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/11/2/95 |access-date=17 February 2025 |website=MDPI}}
Venom
The venom of T. nebularis under sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a complex mixture that consisted of a wide range of proteins. Some of the proteins include metalloproteinase, C-type lectin/lectin-like protein, serine protease, etc. A total of 44 proteins was identified in the venom, forty of those proteins were grouped into 9 different families of toxins. The venom can potentially cause coagulopathy if they bite a human, impairing the coagulation process of blood and causing bleeding. Various populations of communities have gotten bitten and envenomated by this species.