Management and reproduction of Mangshan Pitvipers at the San Diego Zoo

Baldwin, Brett

bbaldwin@sdzwa.org

Herpetology Department                                                                                                                                     

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance                                                                                                                          

San Diego, California USA

The Mangshan Mountain Pitviper (Protobothrops mangshanensis) is a recently discovered and highly secretive species. It is currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN with an estimated 500 or fewer individuals remaining in a very small area of densely forested mountains in southeast China, specifically in the provinces of Hunan and Guangdong. It is endemic to this region, with the majority of the population concentrated in the Mangshan Mountain range and surrounding areas. It is one the largest pitvipers in the world and can reach total lengths over 2 m. Very little is known about its natural history. Captive management has addressed some questions about the reproductive ecology of this oviparous species. The San Diego Zoo first acquired P. mangshanensis in 2002. Subsequently, we established two groups of adults exposed to different management tactics:  one group (0.3) is housed in a large outdoor, mesh covered, open top exhibit. The other group (1.1) is in a large indoor, climate-controlled exhibit. After several years of working on specific husbandry parameters (e.g., diet, humidity, temperature, and basking), the first successful reproduction was accomplished in 2017. This success has allowed us to distribute juveniles to other qualified institutions, thus helping to increase numbers and genetic diversity within the captive managed population. At the San Diego Zoo, our optimum goal is to utilize the information we have amassed to assist with in situ field studies of this enigmatic taxon.