Wagler's Viper Tropidolaemus wagleri Tropidolaemus wagleri (common names: Wager's and Temple Viper). Formerly included in the Trimeresurus Genus, it has been placed in its single species Genus due to unique qualities found in scale and venom. T. Wagleri was first described by Boie in 1827 and named after the 19th century German naturalist Wagler, from which one of its common names is derived. The second "Temple Viper" comes from the famous or infamous "Temple of the Azure Cloud", also known as The Snake Temple, a 150 year old temple located now in a bustling city on the island of Penang, off of peninsular Malaysia. The vipers are seen as holy representatives of the deity Chor Soo Kong. Large numbers of wagleri are kept on plants and statues in and around the temple and are handled freely and freehandedly by the temple keepers. The snakes are said to have inhabited the temple naturally and are reported by the keepers not to bite, possibly due to thick clouds of incense burned inside the temple which is said to calm the already mostly lethargic snakes. Tourists are given the opportunity to muster up their nerve and pose for their own souvenir photos holding a handful of the live snakes (fangs removed and heads marked with paint to identify them). It is thought that the snakes bring good luck, and some of the people in the region welcome and keep them in their homes. Info from here Photo taken with Konica Minolta Dimage Z5. Hope you like it and thanks for watching :-)