Hump-nosed Pit Viper Hypnale hypnale feeding on an Allapalli Skink Eutropis allapallensis in Karwar, India

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10034.18.2.28433-28435

Keywords:

Ambush, fangs, skink, predation, prey, striking

Abstract

We report a probable first case of in situ field observation of a wild Hump-nosed Pit Viper Hypnale hypnale hunting and feeding. This is based on a direct observation involving an Allapalli Skink Eutropis allapallensis that occurred on 23 May 2024, at 2200 h in Karwar, India. The entire event lasted for 6 m 40 s, while the skink became immobile, eventually died out of envenomation in just 40 s after fang-contact.

Author Biographies

Nonita Rana, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

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Karthy Sivapushanam , Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

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S.J.D. Frank, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

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Govindan Veeraswami Gopi, Wildlife Institute of India, Chandrabani, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248001, India.

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26-02-2026

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