An exciting new exhibition within Rainforest Realm housing a Sumatran Pit Viper is open to visitors.

Butterfly Farm Education Officer, John Withers, and members of the Education Team have designed, and rock themed this bespoke new exhibition.

The Sumatran pit viper or Trimeresurus sumatranus, is a venomous snake native to the rainforests of Sumatra and surrounding Southeast Asian regions. They have a striking yellow or green body; the ones at the Butterfly Farm are yellow, with black markings, and a broad, triangular head that helps distinguish it from non-venomous species.

Vipers are arboreal, spending much of their time in trees or shrubs. They ambush prey such as birds, frogs, and small mammals.

Like other pit vipers, it has heat-sensing pits between its eyes and nostrils that help detect warm-blooded prey. Its venom is hemotoxic, capable of causing significant tissue damage, and although not typically fatal to humans, bites require urgent medical attention.

The viper is looked after by specialist handlers Coogan Middlebrook and John Withers.

Conservation Status - LC Least Concern