Thailand Snake Herping by Boat for Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus (Mangrove Pit Viper)

One of my top 3 favorite snakes in all of Thailand is the Mangrove Pit Viper. These are small snakes, rarely over 1 meter in length. They get a couple of fingers thick, but usually not as thick as a wrist. They have a variety of temperaments. I’ve caught some that never stopped biting, some that eventually stopped, and some (well, one) that never struck out to bite. We cruise through the mangroves on a long-tail boat in southern Thailand at high tide and go through places either we have seen, or others hav