Gloydius himalayanus

{{Taxobox 
| name = Gloydius himalayanus
| regnum = Animalia
| phylum = Chordata
| subphylum = Vertebrata
| classis = Reptilia
| ordo = Squamata
| subordo = Serpentes
| familia = Viperidae
| genus = Gloydius
| species = G. himalayanus
| binomial = Gloydius himalayanus
| binomial_authority = (Günther, 1864)
| synonyms = * Trigonocephalus affinis – Günther, 1860 (part)
 Halys himalayanus Günther, 1864 Halys Himalayanus – Stoliczka, 1870
 Halys Hymalayanus  Stoliczka, 1870 (ex errore)
 Trigonocephalus himalayanus – Strauch, 1873
 Crotalus Halys Himalayanus – Higgins, 1873
 Ancistrodon himalayanus – Boulenger, 1890
 Agkistrodon himalayanus – Hatta, 1928
 A[gkistrodon]. himalayana – Underwood, 1979
 Gloydius himalayanus – Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp.  (series).  (volume).
}}Gloydius himalayanus (commonly known as the Himalayan Pit Viper) is a medium-sized gray-brown snake found in caverns and rocky crevices of forested hill sides, where it feeds on skinks and lizards. The scale pattern consists of medial dark brown blotches, alternating with lateral rows of spots.

It occurs along the southern slopes of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal as far as Sikkim between 1500–3000 m altitude.

The Himalayan Pit Viper is a habitually sluggish snake that basks in sunlight and hibernates in winter.

Sources

Category:Reptiles of Pakistan
Category:Vipers
Category:Snakes of Asia
Category:State symbols of Himachal Pradesh