--- title: "Russell's Viper (Daboia russelii) | AnimalTracks.wiki" description: "A South Asian viper whose venom varies across India, enough that one antivenom did poorly against snakes from the semi-arid north in mouse tests." image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/russells-viper-1.webp" published: "2026-10-11" updated: "2026-10-12" --- # Russell's Viper (*Daboia russelii*) > **Status**: Checked against 7 sources, listed under Sources below. > **Tagline**: A South Asian viper whose venom varies across India, enough that one antivenom did poorly against snakes from the semi-arid north in mouse tests. > **Soundtrack Vibe**: Modern Metalcore & Djent // Jinjer, "Perennial" > **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/2eqFIWCNNKU94iFUvBCOMR) > **Vibe Match**: In Sri Lanka, Russell's viper venom has been linked to bleeding, clotting trouble, kidney failure and nerve damage at once, one mix doing many jobs. Jinjer's Perennial mixes too: Tatiana Shmayluk swings between a clean singing voice and a full growl inside one song. ## Biological Superpowers & Stats - **Taxonomy**: *Daboia russelii* - **Danger Level**: Deadly - **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-3.rlts.t172710a1372376.en)) - **Superpower**: Venom that differs significantly between five Indian regions, in composition and potency - **Habitat**: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in nearly every biogeographic zone of India and at 2,000 m and above in the Himalaya - **Diet**: Rodents, crabs, frogs, lizards and birds - **Tags**: reptile, venomous, grassland, carnivore ## Natural History & Behavior ## Venom that changes with the map Russell's viper (*Daboia russelii*) does not carry one fixed venom. A 2021 study compared venom from five biogeographic zones of India, regions defined by climate and landscape. It found significant differences in the venom's makeup, chemistry and potency. A 2015 study took apart the venom of Sri Lankan snakes. Basic PLA2s make up about 35 percent of that venom's protein. The researchers call these enzymes neurotoxic, meaning they attack nerves. They say the mix fits the effects seen in Sri Lankan patients: bleeding, blood-clotting trouble, kidney failure, nerve and muscle damage, and red blood cells bursting. > **Antivenom gap** > In mouse tests, one commercial Indian antivenom worked about equally well against four of the five populations, but poorly against the one from India's semi-arid north. Antivenom is the medicine made to counter venom. ## Size, weight and markings Lengths of up to 1.6 metres (about 5 feet) are not uncommon. AnAge lists an average adult weight of 1,306 grams, a little under 3 pounds. The oldest one it records lived 15 years in captivity. The head is clearly set off from the neck. The back is light brown with three lengthwise rows of large, black-edged blotches, and the middle row often joins into a chain-like stripe. The eye has a vertical, oval pupil, and no sensory pit sits between nostril and eye. It gives birth to live young, 5 to 50 at a time. ## Across South Asia It lives in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In India it turns up in nearly every biogeographic zone, apart from the Trans-Himalayas, most of the northeast and the islands, and it reaches 2,000 m or more in the Himalaya. In Sri Lanka it is recorded up to 1,500 m. The Reptile Database calls it possibly the most common of the dangerously venomous snakes in southern Asia. A survey published in 2009 identified 860 snakes brought to ten Sri Lankan hospitals along with the patients they had bitten: Russell's vipers and hump-nosed pit vipers were the most numerous. The 2021 study says it seems to be responsible for the majority of India's fatal envenomings and long-term injuries. The former subspecies *siamensis* has been raised to a full species; this profile covers *D. russelii* only. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How long is a Russell's viper? The Reptile Database says snakes reaching 1.6 metres, a little over 5 feet, are not uncommon. *(Source: [The Reptile Database]())* ### How long can a Russell's viper live? AnAge lists 15 years as the maximum, set in captivity. It rates the sample behind that figure as small. *(Source: [Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge]())* ### Is every Russell's viper's venom the same? No. Venom from five regions of India differed significantly in what it contains and how potent it is, and an antivenom tested in mice did poorly against the semi-arid north. *(Source: [Senji Laxme et al. 2021]())* ## Sources 1. [Suraj et al. (2021). Daboia russelii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T172710A1372376.]() 2. [Daboia russelii. The Reptile Database.]() 3. [AnAge entry for Daboia russelii. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge.]() 4. [Senji Laxme et al. (2021). Biogeographic venom variation in Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) and the preclinical inefficacy of antivenom therapy in snakebite hotspots. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.]() 5. [Tan et al. (2015). Functional venomics of the Sri Lankan Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) and its toxinological correlations. Journal of Proteomics.]() 6. [Ariaratnam et al. (2009). Syndromic Approach to Treatment of Snake Bite in Sri Lanka Based on Results of a Prospective National Hospital-Based Survey of Patients Envenomed by Identified Snakes. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.]() 7. [Khandakar & Jeny (2020). New distributional records of Russell’s Vipers, Daboia russelii (Shaw and Nodder 1797), in Bangladesh. Reptiles & Amphibians.]() *Published October 11, 2026. 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