| 1 | Himalayan pitviper |
Maximum length: 95.8cm.
Forget swaying rope bridges, forget massive glacial chunks about to break off – the Himalayan pitviper is just as big a threat in its namesake mountains. This species lives in Nepal and northern India, and is believed to reach the highest altitudes of any snake. Confirmed sightings have been made at 4900 metres above sea level, not far off the height of Mount Everest base camp at 5364 metres (Nepalese side).
The Himalayan pitviper (Gloydius himalayanus) has a venom which is usually non lethal, but can unleash swelling and extreme pain near the bite mark. They won’t burst from a bush with their fangs bared (usually), but they aren’t shy, and will readily lunge forward if you find one blocking your trail.
As ever, the best strategy is to hold your nerve, give them a wide berth, and slowly walk by. Himalayan pitvipers live in sloping forests and rugged fields, and have a single hidey hole which they return to each day, rather than roaming around aimlessly. This species much prefers crisp mountain air to swampy lowlands.
You won’t find Himalayan pitvipers at Everest base camp, but they might terrify people on the 10 day trek in, as a piercing hiss erupts from nowhere. With the thinning air, some might believe this viper to be an altitude-induced mirage, but they’re very much a real physical being.
| 2 | Black speckled palm pitviper |
Maximum length: 93.7cm.
The black speckled palm pitviper resides in the green, moist mountains of Costa Rica, including the Talamanca Cordillera bordering Panama. This is a venomous snake which comfortably reaches altitudes of 3000 metres, often amidst pouring rain and swirling mist.
Black speckled palm pitvipers (Bothriechis nigroviridis) may be encountered along the edges of hiking routes by tourists, or perhaps in a tree near to where you’re eating lunch. Their bite is especially lethal, causing only minor haemorrhaging, but possessing a rare toxin called nigroviriditoxin.
Complicating matters is that Bothriechis nigroviridis lives in the worst places to get bitten in all of Costa Rica. You’re far from the nearest hospital, you’re on a narrow winding trail, and the chances of a helicopter landing in the mist and trees is negligible. If you do meet this snake’s fangs while hiking, then you’re in serious trouble.
More positively, Bothriechis nigroviridis is a branch snake, and is rarely in a rush to drop down just to bite a random tourist it has no interest in. On many days, these mountain trails are empty, and the black speckled palm pitviper lives a quiet life. They can go for months at a time without seeing a human, far from the hustle and bustle of San José (Costa Rica’s capital). In fact, they might even get lonely in these distant mountain hideaways. Being so mountainous, the main people to regularly meet this snake are villagers and remote farmers.
| 3 | Green whipsnake |
Maximum length: around 2 metres.
An energetic snake which can move hundreds of metres per day. Green whipsnakes mainly inhabit Italy and southern France, and are particularly fond of rugged open areas, meaning that mountain colonies make perfect sense.
This species is particularly abundant in the Pyrenees mountains straddling France and Spain, with Andorra lodged in the middle. Green whipsnakes are especially common near the numerous natural thermal spas dotted around the Pyrenees, many of which are abandoned tourist sites.
The Pyrenees is volcanically active, and these pockets of warmth are irresistible for a green whipsnake which has strayed so high. The roads near these mountain spas are one of the top places to observe green whipsnakes on Earth (sometimes dead unfortunately).
The Pyrenees are the last stop of this species, as green whipsnakes are only found in the extreme north of Spain. This snake has a wildly varying diet, with two favourites being common wall lizards and wood mice. They’re non-venomous, but can turn savagely aggressive if pushed.
| 4 | Taiwan pitviper |
Maximum length: at least 60cm.
This small but dangerous snake is a quiet citizen of Taiwanese mountains, reaching towering heights of 3500 metres, and rarely appearing below 2000 metres.
You probably won’t find Taiwan pitvipers on the windswept summit of a mountain, waiting to greet people just staggering to the top. They’re more common in grassy, rocky fields slightly lower down, where they love to bask in the sun in open spaces. Panting hikers might walk right past this snake, lumbering under the weight of a huge backpack, and never realise that they’re there, distracted with their own troubles. Others might be less lucky and find a Taiwan pitviper blocking their hiking trail.
Though venomous, the Taiwan pitviper (Trimeresurus gracilis) specialises in local skin chaos rather than paralysis and rapid death. This species relies strongly on lizards as a juvenile, but transitions to a diet of 68.1% mammals as adults (study). Males were more reliant on shrews, while females favoured rodents.
Taiwan pitvipers are part of the huge Trimeresurus pitviper genus, and are one of the highest climbing members. Most Trimeresurus pitvipers aren’t high altitude lovers at all – the large-eyed pitviper is a staple of marshy Bangkok.
| 5 | Meadow viper |
Maximum length: 60cm.
This European viper is so reliant on high altitudes that they’re heading rapidly towards extinction. Meadow vipers have extremely narrow habitat requirements, as they loathe forests and are never found in them. Instead, they’re found in rugged open areas at high altitudes, often with melting snow patches, the kinds of places frequented by hikers with poles in each hand. They’re particularly common near thorny juniper bushes, and large rock slabs which they can bask on for warmth.
Meadow vipers can appear in ancient mountain passes at around 300 metres above sea level. They also appear in valleys lower down, but only in lush open meadows with an abundance of wildflowers. Meadow vipers are extinct in Austria (unless a few survivors are hidden), but still have a few fragmented colonies in the Swiss and French alps.
Though unlikely, there’s a small chance of you bumping into this species on your summer hiking holiday. Watch out for a piercing hiss and rapidly tightening coils – this is a sign of a meadow viper preparing for attack.
| 6 | Wilson’s montane pitviper |
Maximum length: 78.9cm.
A resident of Honduras and El Salvador. Wilson’s montane pitviper lives a remote mountain life far from prying eyes, at altitudes of 1400-3491 metres. Though rare near humanity, they can reach high densities on their forested mountain slopes.
This species probably inspires a great deal of fear in local villages, looming over them with its presence. Every time they look up and see the distant peaks, they’re reminded of the venomous pitvipers lurking on their slopes. Wilson’s montane pitvipers tend not to live in villages themselves, but untouched areas several miles away, greatly increasing the local rumours and superstition.
This species gets most of its calories from mammals, but also includes giant whiptail lizards (Aspidoscelis motaguae). Cerrophidion wilsoni moves just small distances per day. They prefer to rest on the ground, climbing low branches only occasionally. Another special feature is a white mouth lining, similarly to a cottonmouth.
Despite the villagers’ fears, Wilson’s montane pitvipers are usually performing relatively innocuous activities: searching for the correct ambush position, following scent trails, hissing if a bird gets too close. Wilson’s montane pitvipers aren’t actually guarding the slopes of El Salvador’s mountains against all who dare to enter them.
| 7 | Berg adder |
Maximum length: 60cm.
One of South Africa’s highest climbing species. The berg adder (Bitis atropos) is a dangerously venomous serpent which lurks in ambush for lizards, disguised by swaying thickets. This species knows that it can’t compete with the puff adders and cape cobras prowling the lower savannahs, so instead, they established themselves secure mountain colonies.
You can find berg adders slithering around rugged mountainous grassland with a healthy amount of rocks, perhaps near the remnants of an old campfire. Berg adders reach altitudes of 3000 metres in Zimbabwe, where they rarely appear below 1500 metres. The berg adder is such a mountain lover that it is now split into pockets across southern Africa, each representing a different mountain range.
Berg adders are a dangerously neurotoxic species, whose bite has lead to lung failure in the past. Fortunately, they’re not aggressive, and won’t hunt humans down. Don’t worry too much about lighting a campfire; this species won’t suddenly swivel around and head determinedly towards the flickering flames. They have no burning desire to bite humans at all (but still might).
| 8 | Lined snake |
Maximum length: 57.2cm.
A species of the US mid-west, east of the Rocky Mountains. This is a nocturnal snake which eats earthworms, and loves to hide under cover with several of its kind. The stealthy lined snake is never found in lush forests with flowing streams, instead preferring dry rock plains and hillsides.
Though normally found at low altitudes, lined snakes reach dizzying new heights in the western foothills of the Rockies, where their territory ends. The highest they’ve been spotted is at 2810 metres on Capilla Peak, New Mexico. This observation in 2009 smashed through the previous record of 2035 metres, also in New Mexico.
Lined snakes are beige themselves, so they’re extremely difficult to spot amidst constantly swaying prairie grass. Being so rarely seen, there’s probably colonies on mountaintops which are yet to be discovered. There’s a good chance that the lined snake altitude record will be broken again in a few years. The lined snake is a widespread species, ranging from central Texas to the southwest corner of Minnesota.
| 9 | Querétaro dusky rattlesnake |
Maximum length: 67.8cm.
One of the highest-climbing members of the rattlesnake crew. This is a dangerously venomous ambush snake which feeds on voles and fellow snakes, and is rumoured to reach 4400 metres, inhabiting the rugged central Mexican plateau.
The Querétaro dusky rattlesnake (Crotalus aquilus) lives in its own world, where it’s barely even aware of humanity’s existence. Crotalus aquilus is more concerned with the mice numbers on its local grassy slope, whether the sun will appear that morning for a bit of warmth, and hiding from that worrying eagle-shaped dot in the clear skies above.
Querétaro dusky rattlesnakes reach altitudes that far outstrip its fellow rattlesnakes, such as the tiger rattlesnake, which stays at 0-700 metres. This species sometimes enjoys the sun, but just as often a thick mountain mist, which could disorient tourists and send them stumbling into them.
Querétaro dusky rattlesnake are fairly common in their mountain forests – finding one isn’t exceptionally lucky. If you’re lucky, you could even spot two males duelling each other, as this is a confirmed wrestling species. One hotspot for this snake is El Chico National Park, where they’re said to be unusually aggressive.
| 10 | Terrestrial garter snake |
Maximum length: 109.2cm.
The terrestrial garter snake is the second most widespread species of garter snake in the USA, covering 14 states, as well southwest Canada. Their hardy, tough nature is why, as they cope well with numerous habitats, and this includes mountain slopes at up to 3993 metres.
This is one of the least water-loving garter snakes, which aids them in rugged uplands. Their diet is more suitable for mountainous realms, as they lean heavily towards mammals, versus the frog obsessions of most garter snakes. Other altitude records for this species include 3555 metres and 3962 metres.
Thamnophis elegans has some truly spectacular views in the mountain slopes they slither up to, but whether they actually enjoy them is something only they know. Bears have been witnessed admiring Siberian sunsets, but garter snakes are that bit more primitive. Perhaps they’re too distracted with hunting, or perhaps they climb onto a rock occasionally to admire a distant peak.
Either way, the terrestrial garter snake is a likely species to meet in the Rocky Mountains. They’re particularly common near Denver, almost at infestation levels.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing a children’s book on snakes.
I seek permission to use the ten photographs on your website in my book.
I intend to acknowledge the source.
Greetings Kai. None of the photos on this website are mine currently; they are used under creative commons licenses. Others are in the public domain. You can find links to the owners of the images below each image in the small text. You need to speak to these owners, not me. Perhaps you should stick to images in the public domain (CC0) as these have no restrictions.