The reported occurrence of Russell’s Viper 
in Sumatra & the Malay Peninsula. 
By dC. Mounxon: 
Some 50 years ago Dr. J. Fayrer compiled statistics to show 
that the death-rate in India from snake-bite amounted to about 
20,000 persons per annum. ‘The snakes responsible for this enor- 
mous mortality are the Cobra (Nai naja = tripudians), the Krait 
(Bungarus candidus), the Hamadryad (Naia bungarus) and 
Russell’s Viper (Vipera russelli), in that order of importance. 
In Malaysia three species of Krait are known: the Banded 
Krait (Bungarus fasciatus), the Krait (B. candidus), and the 
Yellow-headed Krait (B. flaviceps). All are rare in Malaysia. 
The Cobra and Hamadryad however are by no means rare in the 
Malay Peninsula and adjoining Islands. Although records of 
death from snake-bite in these Malay countries are extremely rare 
it is generally known that these two snakes are the most dangerous: 
and the most to be feared. Other snakes such as the Coral Snakes. 
and Pit-Vipers in Malaysia are poisonous, although an injection 
of their poison is not necessarily always fatal. 
Russell’s Viper, or the Daboia, or Tic Polonga, as it is variously 
called in India, is particularly deadly, and unfortunately common 
in many parts of India. Fayrer states that 471 snakes were brought 
in for record in one day at Amritsar in 1866. Of these over 300 be- 
longed to this one deadly species. E. G. Boulenger states that it 
is ““even more venomous than the majority of Cobras, its bite 
killing fowls in from thirty seconds to a few minutes, dogs in 
from ten minutes to four or five hours, and man in under twenty- 
four hours.” 
Three recognized authorities in herpetology, Drs. G. A. 
wvoulenger, T. Barbour and Nelly de Rouij have excluded Russell’s 
Viper from the Malay Peninsula or Archipelago. And such I 
think is the generally accepted opinion. It is therefore somewhat 
alarming to find the lola passage in a book entitled “ Reptiles 
of the W orld ” by Raymond an Ditmars, Curator of Reptiles and 
Assistant Curator of Mammals in the New York poe Paris 
published in London 1910 :— 
“ One of the commonest and most deadly snakes of India 
is a species of Vipera. This is Tic Polonga, the Dabova, 
or Russell’s Viper, V. russellvi, a beautifullv-coloured reptile 
reaching a length of five feet. 
Jour. Straits Branch 
