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Mangshan Pit Viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis) Fact Sheet: Diet & Feeding

Mangshan Pit Viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis)

Update in Progress

Dear Readers,

This fact sheet, like a snake, is about to slough its skin. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is working to bring you an updated version of the Mangshan Pit Viper Fact Sheet with new science and conservation information. Thanks for your patience, as we crawl among the treetops (yes, this pit viper climbs very well) to bring you new facts. Please check back soon. SDZWA team members can email questions to library@sdzwa.org.

Diet

  • Eat insects, mammals, frogs
  • Consume 2 adult rats every two weeks in managed care (Gumprecht et al 2002)
    • Strike rat mid body
    • Lift rat off the ground until limp
    • Eat rat head first
  • Drink water (Gumprecht et al 2002)

Feeding

  • Terrestrial ambush predators (Green 1999)
    • Wait in ambush along trails used by mammals, especially rodents
    • May use chemoreceptors to detect suitable places to wait for prey.
    • Bushmasters in central and South America are similar ambush predators
  • Many species of pit vipers use white or light colored tail-tips to actively attract potential prey (Heatwole & Davison 1976)
    • Most often this behavior only found in juveniles (Green 1999)
    • Feeding behavior in wild has not been reported in Mangshan pit vipers, but they do have white tipped tails, even as adults
  • In a study of venom composition and dietary choices for some pit vipers (Daltry et al. 1996):
    • Venom chemistry is genetically controlled
    • Geographic variation in venoms reflects "natural selection for feeding on local prey"
    • Small, isolated populations, however, may not be influenced by this venom-diet association (Daltry et al. 1997
  • Viperids use a strike and release strategy for hunting (Hayes et al. 2002)
    • Tounge-flicking search behavior (using chemo receptors) is used to track prey after a strike (O'Connell et al 1982)
    • Even viperids born in managed care (that haven't faced live prey) exhibit this tongue-flicking behavior (O'Connell et al 1982)
  • Long fangs allow toxins to penetrate deeply into prey (Pough & Groves 1983) (Daltry et al. 1997)
    • Toxins kill prey and also help snake digest prey
    • Toxins cause breakdown of proteins in muscles and organs
    • Venom toxins needed for digestion because prey consumed is relatively large

Two Senses for "Seeing"

Head of a Mangshan pit viper

The infrared-sensitive facial organs of pit vipers help them detect body heat of mammal prey.

Can you find the pit organ? Hint: Look between the snake's eye and its nostril.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Page Citations

Chen (1990), translated in David & Tong (1997)
Daltry et al. (1997)
Green (1999)
Gumprecht et al. (2002)
Hayes et al. (2002)
O'Connell et al. (1982)
Pough & Groves (1983)

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