Calloselasma rhodostoma (Malayan Pit Viper, Malaysian Pit Viper)

Thais say: Ngoo gap pa

Length: Less than 1 meter. Female Malayan Pit Vipers are the larger and fatter snakes. Males of the species don't make it to 1 meter long.

Range: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, Vietnam, Burma, and China.

Notes: These vipers are distant cousins to North American "copperhead" snakes. These vipers prefer dry, flat areas. They are known as lazy snakes. There were 5500 bites in Malaysia in 2008. Malayan Pit Vipers don't get out of the way when they sense someone coming. After they bite they're often found in exactly the same spot. These snakes are so dangerous when handled because they are not consistent with their behavior. One day they will be calm. The next, or the next 10 minutes -…