Snakes on Dasyueshan?! Sightings of Taiwan Pit Vipers—Keep Calm, Keep Out of Their Way, and Don't Panic

Recently, there have been sightings of the Taiwan pit viper (Trimeresurus gracilis) at the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area. The Taiwan pit viper is a small slow-moving snake endemic to Taiwan that prefers to frequent high mountains between 2,000 and 3,500 meters above sea level. It is a non-aggressive snake that does not actively attack people. The Dongshih Forest District Office would like to remind hikers to be careful when hiking. If you spot a snake in the mountains, keep calm and simply back off and move out of its way, or gently brush it away with the hiking stick.

The Dongshih Forest District Office said that the Dasyueshan National Forest Recreation Area is located at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level and has a cold climate where there are fewer snakes. But over the years there have been many sightings of snakes here, the most common of which are the Taiwan pit viper and the Taiwan tiger keelback, followed by the Formosa coral snake, the MacClelland's coral snake, the brown spotted pit viper, the Taiwanese mountain pitviper (formerly known as the Alishan mountain pitviper) and the Taiwan bamboo viper. If you come across a snake on the mountain, please remain calm and back away in the opposite direction, or you can also wait for the snake to leave on its own to reduce interference with the snake, and only if necessary, use a tool such as a hiking pole to gently brush it away. Please do not disturb or hurt the snake.
 

The Dongshih Forest District Office would like to remind members of the public to cover their body, especially arms and legs, when hiking or birdwatching. Please do not reach into tree holes, piles of branches, or rock crevices if you cannot clearly see the inside. You can also carry long walking sticks or hiking poles to scare off snakes. In the unfortunate event of a snakebite, please remember these three steps: "take a photo or video of the snake, remove retraining clothing items, and seek medical attention immediately." After recording the snake's appearance, remove everything from the affected area (including rings, bracelets, watches, etc.) and seek medical attention without any delay.