Brief insight into the behavior, activity, and interspecific interactions of urban Trimeresurus (Cryptelytrops) albolabris (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae) vipers in Bangkok, Thailand

Abstract

Green Pit Vipers are a widely distributed, diverse group of snakes which occur across a variety of habitats. Little is known about their natural history in anthropogenically modified environments, and no ecological work has investigated their persistence in cities. We non-invasively photo-monitored White-lipped Green Pit Vipers Trimeresurus (Cryptelytrops) albolabris in the metropolis of Bangkok, Thailand (n = 4 individuals, mean = 2,658 minutes per individual). Subsequently, we preliminarily characterize urban green pit vipers as nocturnal predators, displaying ambush-foraging at night, sheltering during the day, and having limited movement in between temporal periods. We recorded two predation events of vipers capturing and ingesting anuran prey. Vipers infrequently displayed tail undulations (239 minutes total), with one event occurring immediately before a predation event. We also document chemosensory, probing, and mouth-gaping behaviors having occurred exclusively at night. Other vertebrates including birds, frogs, geckos, small mammals, and a cobra were photographed interacting with focal vipers or their immediate surroundings (315 minutes total). Knowledge of organisms in tropical urban environments is scarce, and the persistence of venomous snakes in these unique and challenging habitats requires further study.

Seeing wildlife behavior in a new way: Novel utilization of computer vision for focal reptile videography behavior study

“…Temporal analysis suggested detections with the manual review method should follow previous studies of green pit viper activity patterns (Strine et al 2018, Barnes and Knierim 2019), with behavior events observed primarily at night, early morning, and close to sunset. Overlap between review methods was low (<0.5), but MotionMeerkat observations were spread broad enough temporally to recognize potential presence of behavior events.…”

“…Behavior events defined our big‐eyed pit viper ethogram, which is simply a set of terms and descriptions of the behaviors of an animal (Lehner 1987). We classified time‐lapse images (Bushnell cameras) and videos (Brinno cameras) and continuous feed video recordings with a big‐eyed pit viper into one of 4 primary behavior events (following Barnes 2017, Barnes and Knierim 2019): chemosensory probe (probe), strike, mouth gape (gape), and headbob. Behavioral events are relatively instantaneous behaviors (Martin and Bateson 2007).…”

“…Indirect observational studies can be improved by utilization of both remotely placed cameras and computervision based automated image analyses (Weinstein 2017) Vipers (snakes in the family Viperidae) are ideal subjects for camera behavioral study and motion detection software due to their sit-and-wait ambush foraging style (Clark 2016, Barnes andKnierim 2019). Vipers can remain in a single site, almost motionless, for long periods of time.…”

“…Vipers (snakes in the family Viperidae) are ideal subjects for camera behavioral study and motion detection software due to their sit‐and‐wait ambush foraging style (Clark 2016, Barnes and Knierim 2019). Vipers can remain in a single site, almost motionless, for long periods of time.…”