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Definition of malayan pit viper

malayan pit viper

Plural:Malayan pit vipers
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malayan pit viper Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A highly venomous species of pit viper native to Southeast Asia (including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia), recognized by its reddish-brown camouflage and known for causing a high incidence of snakebites due to its potent hemotoxic venom and tendency to lie motionless in leaf litter.

Example

"Because of its excellent camouflage, hikers in Southeast Asian forests must be incredibly careful not to step on a Malayan pit viper."

• Nearby Words

malawi
malax
malayan krait
malayan pit viper
malayan sluggish snake
malaysia
malcolmia

Word Origin & Etymology

Named for its native geographic distribution across the Malay Peninsula and Southeast Asia. 'Pit' refers to the specialized heat-sensing organs located between the snake's eyes and nostrils, while 'viper' derives from the Latin 'vipera', meaning venomous snake.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Malayan pit viper. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/malayan pit viper
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