Material Examined : 4 adults and 1 juvenile.

Description & Scalation : Head triangular, distinctly broader than neck; scales on upper surface of head small, subequal, obtusely keeled. Eye with vertical pupil. Heat sensing pit between nostril and eye. Internasals larger than adjacent scales on the upper surface of head, separated by a single scale; supraoculars narrow entire, broader than adjacent scales, 13-16 scales on a line between them; 3 postoculars; temporals obtusely keeled. Scales feebly keeled in 27 or 29 : 27 to 31 : 17 to 21 rows; supralabials 11-13, first completely or partly united with the nasal; two rows of small scales between elongated subocular and supralabials; infralabials 13-16; ventrals 171-183; subcaudals 51-73, paired; tail short, prehensile; anal entire.

Description : 4 color forms seen.

1. Uniform light brown or dark brown above, with some scales partly or wholly dark brown. Creamish or pale brown below, tail underside thickly spotted with brown. A white streak starting on the snout or nasal passing below the eye to the angle of the mouth and a white stripe on the scale row 1 starting near or back of the neck and extending on to beginning of tail, this pattern fades with age. Head light brown with blackish-brown spots.
2. Yellowish-brown above, with light brown and black markings irregularly arranged. Whitish-yellow below, tail underside spotted with brown. Head heavily spotted with yellow, brown and black scales.
3. Reddish-brown above, with dark blackish-brown blotches on anterior body, posterior body with yellowish-brown markings. Underside white, mottled with brown, tail underside heavily spotted with black. Head dark blackish-brown, with few light brown spots.
4. Uniform green above, usually with a white ventro-lateral stripe.

Natural History : Poorly known. Nocturnal. Arboreal to semi-arboreal, at times seen on rocks. Mostly seen in and around fresh-water streams, low bushes and near human habitations. Some larger individuals have been seen in caves while predating on swiftlets and bats. Probably feeds on frogs, birds, skinks, lizards and small rodents, seen feeding on fresh water shrimps, one adult regurgitated 4 fresh water shrimps, also recorded feeding on a neonate of Broghammerus reticulatus ( Reticulated python ). Non aggresive in nature, if alarmed vibrates tail rapidly and strikes with lightning speed. People have lost their legs, hands due to the bite by this species, no death case been reported. Not much known about its breeding biology, appears to be ovoviviparous. Grows up to 1.15m.

Distribution - India : Endemic to Central Nicobar group of Islands, recorded from following Islands – Camorta, Nancowry, Katchal, Trinkat, Bompoka, Tarasa, Chowra and Tillanchong.

External link : http://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Trimeresurus&species=cantori