Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The attached pics are of a snake I purchased several years ago as a newborn. It was supposed to be male Cryptelytrops albolabris but as it gets older it looks more and more like a male popeorum or stejnegeri. I know my camera work leaves a lot to be desired, but if anyone with more experienced eyes can give there opinion it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Ryan Mccullah

Cryptelytrops albolabris do look the same as a popeorum. They are determined by hemipene structure or reliable data of origin.
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

Hey Tim,
Thats my next step is to tube him and try to see if the hemipene is spiny or not. I hate having to do that, I know it stresses me out and I'm fairly certain he's not going to like it either!!!
Ryan,

It is not albolabris. It looks like a popeiorum from the photos. If you can get some better photos that would help. A few years ago stejnegeri were more common so it is possible. Today you dont see them often. Where or who did you get the snake from, that would help also. I would not try and tube it and check the hemipenes. This can ruin the snake if not done the right way.

cheers.

Another one you left out that can also look similr is gumprechti. The reason I dont feel you should tube it and check it is because unless you are doing some kind of study it is not necessary. If it were a stej. it would be hard to find a mate. Not impossible. In the wild a large number of these "bamboo vipers" seem to overlap. They do naturally cross breed. An example would be popeiorum and vogeli. That is why if you look in some of the better books out there you will see some snakes listed as Trimeresurus sp. I am not saying you should cross breed. But it can happen in nature. So why stress the snake or risk ruining him so he cant breed at all. Just enjoy the great snake you have, and if you want a mate for him look for a female popeiorum. This is just my opinion.

Cheers, and good luck.

Thanks for the reply and advice/opinion,
I also feel it is not albolabris. I feel confident I could do it with out injuring him, I have popped other snakes to sex them with no problem, But I also agree with you,that if any way is possible that does not involve me getting hands on with this or any of my snakes I will go that route.
I would not breed him unless I was 100% sure on the Species and could match it up, I know it happens in the wild and in captivity on accident and on purpose, But I wouldn't do that myself.

Thanks again,
Ryan

That is definitely not an albolabris. I agree with greg.
If you know the localitity of the snake, that would confirm its id, but from first glance, I would say it is a Langkawi pope's pit viper. Only the popes found from that island in Malaysia have the red ventrolateral line stretchhing all the way to the eye. To my knowledge, this species has not been classified yet and is still lumped together with popeia popeirum. Wolgang Wuster would probably have more details.

Regards
hans
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www.naturemalaysia.com - essential guide to herping and snake species in Malaysia
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Thanks for the info!