Protobothrops mucrosquamatus
Japanese name: タイワンハブ
Chinese name: 龜殼花
English name: Brown spotted pitviper
Origin: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Taiwan, mainland China
The population of Brown spotted pitvipers on Okinawajima is an introduced species from Taiwan, currently found mainly in areas such as the Motobu Peninsula and Onna Village. Between the 1970s and 1990s, large numbers of this species were imported from Taiwan and kept in captivity for commercial purposes in Okinawa, such as snake shows using the native habu (Protobothrops flavoviridis) and the production of habu powder (a traditional medicine). The individuals now found in the wild are believed to have escaped or been released due to facility closures and poor management.
※ Designated as a “Specified Invasive Alien Species” under Japan’s Invasive Alien Species Act.
Reference: National Institute for Environmental Studies – Invasive Species Database
https://www.nies.go.jp/biodiversity/invasive/DB/detail/30130.html
