Chinese Snake Expert Dedicates 37 Years to Rare Venom Snake Conservation

Chen Yuanhui, a 77-year-old Chinese snake expert, has dedicated over 37 years of his life to studying and conserving the Mangshan pit viper, a rare species he discovered. Despite being bitten by snakes nine times and losing fingers due to venom poisoning, he insists he has never regretted his chosen path. Chen, from Guangdong Province, originally worked at a snake bite research center before becoming a medical practitioner treating snake bite victims in the Mangshan mountain area after the center closed in 1982.

A pivotal moment came in 1984 when Chen treated a forest worker bitten by an unfamiliar venomous snake locals called the "small green dragon" because of its yellow-green body, white tail, and square-like markings when viewed from above that become triangular from the side. Suspecting this was an undocumented snake species, Chen spent five years searching until workers collected 23 specimens, which he purchased using his family's savings by buying cooling equipment for resale.

After consulting experts in China and the United States, the species was officially recognized in 1990 as a new Chinese venomous snake named Mangshan pit viper (Protobothrops mangshanensis). When first discovered, only about 200 individuals were thought to remain. Chen has since devoted decades to research and breeding, though today fewer than 600 exist and the species is classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List.

Following the IUCN listing, black market prices for Mangshan pit vipers soared above one million yuan, or roughly five million baht per snake. Chen has rejected multiple purchase offers despite the personal toll his conservation passion has taken on his marriage. He has been bitten by the Mangshan pit viper nine times, with the eighth bite nearly fatal—he wrote what he thought would be his final words—and the ninth cost him part of his left middle finger after he lost consciousness for three days and nights.