Protobothrops mucrosquamatus is a pit viper species endemic to Asia. Common names include: brown-spotted pit viper, Taiwanese habu and pointed-scaled pit viper. No subspecies are currently recognized. The species was first described by Theodore Cantor in 1839.
Males grow to a maximum total length of with a tail length of . Females grow to a maximum total length of with a tail length of .
The hemipenes are spinose.
Scalation: dorsal scales in 25 longitudinal rows at midbody; scales on upper surface of head, small, each scale keeled posteriorly; internasals 5âÂÂ10 times size of adjacent scales, separated by 3âÂÂ4 scales; supraoculars, long, narrow, undivided, 14âÂÂ16 small interoculars in line between them; 2 scales on line between upper preocular and nasal scale; 9âÂÂ11 upper labials, first upper labial separated from nasal by suture; 2âÂÂ3 small scales between upper labials and subocular; 2âÂÂ3 rows of temporal scales above upper labials smooth, above those scales keeled; ventrals 200âÂÂ218; subcaudals 76âÂÂ91, all paired.
Color pattern: grayish or olive brown above, with dorsal series of large brown, black-edged spots or blotches, and a lateral series of smaller spots; head above brownish, below whitish; belly whitish but heavily powdered with light brown; tail brownish (possibly pink in life [fide M.A. Smith 1943:507]), with series of dark dorsal spots.
Brown spotted pitviper, pointed-scaled pit viper, habu, , Chinese habu, Formosan pit viper. The Chinese name is or .
Found from northeastern India (Assam and Mizoram) and Bangladesh, to Myanmar, China (including Hainan, and as far north as Gansu and as far east as Zhejiang), Laos, northern and central Vietnam, also found in northern Thailand as well as in Taiwan. The type locality given is Naga Hills (India). This snake is introduced to Okinawa, Japan.