Habu

Some might know what the Habu is, after this post everyone will.

Description: Light brown or olive-yellow with black markings and a yellow or greenish-white belly.

Characteristics: This snake is responsible for biting many humans and its bite could be fatal. It is an irritable species ready to defend itself. Its venom is hemotoxic, causing pain and considerable tissue damage.

Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats, ranging from lowlands to mountainous regions. Often encountered in old houses and rock walls surroundings buildings.

Length: Average 1 meter, maximum 1.5 meters.

Distribution: Okinawa and neighboring islands and Kyushu.



Okinawa is in the Ryuku Island chain in Japan. A small, dark, poisonous pit viper snake, indigenous to the Ryuku islands, is called the "Habu" by the native islanders. Though non-aggressive, the Habu snake can inflict a painful and sometimes deadly bite.

Contrary to what most people believe, the habu cannot be found in all the islands of Okinawa. And, even more surprising, on some islands on Okinawa, the habu never existed

Habu snakes become increasingly active and hostile between April and July and can be found in bushes, trees and grassy areas, under rocks and around residential areas.


To keep snakes out of residential areas, residents should keep grass cut and shrubs trimmed off the ground, Comeau noted. Do not leave garbage or debris lying around. In the evening, residents should keep their yards well lit since habu snakes are nocturnal and do not like bright light.



The snakes signify successful missions. Why snakes? Well, Blackbirds were flown from US air bases in the UK and from Japan, so that no place on earth was more than three or so hours away from having its picture taken by a Blackbird (this means any place on earth could have an aerial picture of it taken and delivered six hours after the picture is requested). Now, in Japan, the Phillipines, Taiwan, and southeast China, a pit viper exists called the Habu. It's not quite as deadly as a cobra or mamba, but is quite more dangerous than most venomous snakes in the US. When the A-12s (and later the SR-71s) were first flown to their new remote base at Kadena AFB in Okinawa, the local people thought that this strange and somewhat wicked-looking airplane was shaped like the habu snake. They started calling it the habu airplane, and later just habu. Crews who flew the airplane were also called Habu, and the name came to be recognized with the blackbird program and even incorporated into the insignia worn by the crews on their uniforms, a special patch earned by pilots who flew operational sorties. Similarly, each habu drawn on this Blackbird signify a real operational mission.



www.wonder-okinawa.jp...
www.wvi.com...
www.okinawa.usmc.mil...

I've never even heard of this snake before. It doesn't get a lot of pub I guess. Very interesting!

Peace

Originally posted by Dr Love
I've never even heard of this snake before. It doesn't get a lot of pub I guess. Very interesting!

Peace

YAY, I found one you didn't know.