Trimeresurus stejnegeri stejnegeri

蝮蛇科；Crotalinae 亞科(蝮亞科)
Viperidae; subfamily Crotalinae (Pitvipers)

90 cm

廣泛分布台灣全島與蘭嶼1500 m 以下低海拔地區。

中國（雲南以北到甘肅東南，包括吉林在內東到江蘇，南到海南，），台灣，尼泊爾，印度（錫金，阿薩姆），緬甸，泰國東南，越南

Small snake; total length up to 90 cm. There are 15-29 (21 at mid-body) rows of scales, which are keeled and rough. Head is broad, roughly triangular, covered with small and smooth scales, and distinct from neck; body is stout or robust; tail is small. There is a prominent angular ridge from upper eye to end of nose, and a prominent pit three to five times the size of the nostril between eye and nostril. Eye is medium-sized, high on head, forms slight bulge on upper head; iris is distinctly rusty brown or brick red, flecked with cream, and pupil is vertically elliptical, black, with narrow margin of cream or light orange. Tongue is dark gray to black, with stem lighter than fork tips. Fangs are large, movable, in sheath in anterior part of upper jaw. Upper head and body are uniform dark green to chartreuse, while sides of head and ventral surface are light yellow green to pale green. Tail is variable, may be same green as rest of body, but usually tinged dorsally with dull diffuse rusty red or brown. Frequently a a white or light cream line can be found extending from the lower edge of eye posteriorly over the corner of mouth, and in males white line may be bordered by another brick-red or rust-colored line. A white stripe, bordered ventrally with dark red extends along the first body scale row in most males, whereas there is no such dark red stripe in most females. Very few individuals are without lateral stripes. Anal scale is entire, and subcaudals are paired.

赤尾青竹絲擁有很高的抗寒能力(最低可在 14° C 的環境下活動), 在北台灣即使在冬季仍然可以在野外找到不少個體。特別一提的是牠們通常喜歡在雨中或雨後出來活動。

赤尾青竹絲、赤尾鮐、竹葉青、青竹蛇、焦尾巴。

赤尾青竹絲是台灣最常見的毒蛇，並且也是台灣唯一沒法律保護的毒蛇。