# insularis blue (DD-628) > The white-lipped island pit viper, Trimeresurus insularis, is a venomous, tree-dwelling pit viper from the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia and Timor-Leste. It is found on more than a dozen islands, from Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa to Flores, Komodo, Sumba, Timor and Wetar, and in eastern Java. It was first described in 1977 as a subspecies of the white-lipped pit viper, T. albolabris, and was raised to a full species in 2001. Most are green. A striking blue form occurs on Komodo and nearby Padar. Field reports describe yellow animals on Flores, and all forms share a red tail tip. The blue snakes are a color morph of the same species, not a separate subspecies. One field account says they lack yellow pigment, which leaves the scales blue. Like all pit vipers, it has a heat-sensing pit on each side of the head, between the eye and the nostril, that helps it find warm-blooded prey in the dark. The IUCN calls it a generalist that is probably the most often seen snake on the islands where it lives. It is also regularly involved in snakebites on Bali. Its color forms are popular in the pet trade and are bred in captivity. - Department: Nature - First published: 2025-07-31 - Last updated: 2025-07-31 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/insularis-blue/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## Quick facts - **DD-628-F01**: Blue T. insularis are a color morph, not a subspecies. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (One species, many colors))_ - **DD-628-F02**: The blue morph is reported from Komodo and Padar. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Where blue lives))_ ## Write-up A pit viper in turquoise. The blue form of the white-lipped island pit viper is a color morph. 1. **One species, many colors**: Blue, green and yellow animals all belong to Trimeresurus insularis. Blue is a color morph, not a subspecies. 2. **Where blue lives**: The blue morph is reported from Komodo and Padar, while Bali animals are green. 3. **A wide range**: The species lives on more than a dozen Lesser Sunda islands and in eastern Java. 4. **Heat pits**: Pit vipers have a heat-sensing pit between the eye and the nostril on each side of the head. 5. **Common, not rare**: The IUCN calls it probably the most often seen snake on its islands, and it is bred in captivity for its colors. ## Related case files - [Snake Supreme (DD-694)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/snake-supreme/): Another snake case - [Blood Destruction II (DD-598)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/blood-destruction-ii/): Another case about a venomous pit viper - [Tree Scaling (DD-650)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/tree-scaling/): A tree-dwelling snake ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'Subspecies of the white-lipped island pit viper': the white-lipped island pit viper is Trimeresurus insularis itself, and the blue snakes are a color morph of that species, not a subspecies. (T. insularis was once a subspecies of T. albolabris, then raised to a full species in 2001.) - **Note**: 'Komodo and Flores': the blue morph is reported mainly from Komodo and Padar. Flores animals are described as green or yellow, and the species as a whole ranges across the Lesser Sundas and eastern Java. - **Note**: 'A few isolated islands': the species is known from more than a dozen islands, and the IUCN calls it probably the most often seen snake where it occurs. - **Note**: 'Pits near their nostrils': each heat-sensing pit sits between the eye and the nostril. - **Note**: 'Immobilizes and digests their target': pit viper venom does begin breaking down tissue, but 'digests' oversimplifies. None of my sources detail this species' venom, beyond the IUCN noting frequent snakebites on Bali. ## Video: insularis blue: A Pit Viper in Turquoise - Duration: 30.0 s · Published: 2025-07-31 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DMy9Wm9ssDr.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? Blue insularis pit vipers, a striking subspecies of the white-lipped island pit viper, are known for their vivid turquoise or blue coloration and are native to a few isolated Indonesian islands like Komodo and Flores. These venomous snakes rely on heat-sensing pits near their nostrils to detect warm-blooded prey in low light conditions. striking with precision to inject hematotoxic venom that immobilizes and digests their target. They typically dwell in trees or shrubs and are ambush predators, blending beautifully with their surroundings. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: What are blue insularis pit vipers?** A: They're a color morph of Trimeresurus insularis. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (One species, many colors) · The Reptile Database: Trimeresurus insularis; Jurnal Sain Veteriner: Blood cell morphology of Trimeresurus insularis, green from Bali and blue from Komodo; Alephrocco (May 2, 2018): White-lipped island pit viper field notes)_ **Q: Where is the blue morph reported?** A: Komodo and nearby Padar. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Where blue lives) · Jurnal Sain Veteriner: Blood cell morphology of Trimeresurus insularis, green from Bali and blue from Komodo; Alephrocco (May 2, 2018): White-lipped island pit viper field notes; Wild Herping (Sep 3, 2025): Herping Komodo, wildlife in Komodo National Park)_ **Q: What color are T. insularis on Bali?** A: Bali animals are green. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Where blue lives) · Jurnal Sain Veteriner: Blood cell morphology of Trimeresurus insularis, green from Bali and blue from Komodo; Alephrocco (May 2, 2018): White-lipped island pit viper field notes; Wild Herping (Sep 3, 2025): Herping Komodo, wildlife in Komodo National Park)_ **Q: Where are the heat-sensing pits?** A: One on each side of the head. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Heat pits) · IUCN Red List: Trimeresurus insularis, White-lipped Island Pitviper (2021); The Reptile Database: Trimeresurus insularis)_ **Q: In what year was T. insularis raised to a full species?** A: It was described as a subspecies in 1977 and raised in 2001. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (One species, many colors) · The Reptile Database: Trimeresurus insularis; Jurnal Sain Veteriner: Blood cell morphology of Trimeresurus insularis, green from Bali and blue from Komodo; Alephrocco (May 2, 2018): White-lipped island pit viper field notes)_ ## Sources - [IUCN Red List: Trimeresurus insularis, White-lipped Island Pitviper (2021)](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/pdf/1525328) - [The Reptile Database: Trimeresurus insularis](https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/Trimeresurus/insularis) - [Jurnal Sain Veteriner: Blood cell morphology of Trimeresurus insularis, green from Bali and blue from Komodo](https://journal.ugm.ac.id/jsv/article/view/111802) - [Alephrocco (May 2, 2018): White-lipped island pit viper field notes](https://alephrocco.com/2018/05/02/white-lipped-island-pit-viper-trimeresurus-insularis/) - [Wild Herping (Sep 3, 2025): Herping Komodo, wildlife in Komodo National Park](https://wildherping.com/en/2025/09/03/herping-komodowildlife-in-komodo-national-park%e2%91%a0/) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "insularis blue." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-628, last updated Jul 31, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/insularis-blue/