"Green pit viper" isn't a single species — it's a common name applied to many different species across the pit viper family, most found throughout South and Southeast Asia. Their shared trait is a bright green coloration that blends almost perfectly into leaves and branches.
Heat-sensing pits
Like other pit vipers, these snakes have a pair of heat-sensitive pits located between each eye and nostril. These organs can detect the body heat of nearby warm-blooded animals, letting the snake sense and target prey accurately even in low light or complete darkness — essentially a built-in thermal sensor, millions of years before humans invented one.
Ambush specialists
Green pit vipers are typically slow-moving, patient ambush hunters rather than active pursuers. They'll often stay coiled and still on a branch for extended periods, relying on camouflage and their heat-sensing pits to strike accurately when prey finally comes within range.
Range: South and Southeast Asia (varies by species) · Diet: Frogs, lizards, birds, and small mammals · Venom: Primarily hemotoxic · Habitat: Tropical forest, often in low vegetation and along waterways