Okinawan Habu

Okinawan Habu
ハブ
Character Data
AKA		Habu, Kume Shima habu
Romaji		Habu
Debut		Kemono Friends (2015 Game)
Animal Data
Scientific Name		Protobothrops flavoviridis
Distribution		Ryukyu Islands
Diet		Carnivore
Avg. Lifespan		7-10 years
Read More		Protobothrops flavoviridis
Conservation

Okinawan Habu

Season 2

Festival

Pavilion

KF3

Nexon Game

Stage Play

Gallery

The Okinawan Habu is a reptilian Friend species that has appeared in the original Kemono Friends mobile game as well as Kemono Friends Festival.

Appearance

Okinawan Habu has yellow-green eyes and gray hair with a very slight pink color at the very end of some strands. She wears a lighter gray hoodie, pale down the center with dark spots and blotch patterns on the sides, sleeves and lower hood. Her hood bears black markings and glowing red pseudo eyes as well as the impression of scales. Her hood’s drawstrings are white and descend to pink at the forked ends. She wears a black skirt which is mostly covered by her hoodie. She also wears laced up boots sporting the same blotch patterns as her hoodie and black socks underneath. Her tail is gray with dark gray spots and blotches along the top and a pale gray color along the bottom.

Series Appearances

Appearances In Kemono Friends Media

Media		Role

In Real Life

Okinawan Habu found in the Ryukyu Islands. Photo by U.S. Marine Corps.

The name "habu" can refer to four different snakes found in Japan, but the Friend is based on the Okinawan habu, a type of pit viper that is found all through the Ryukyu islands, and the snake which Habu refers to in Japanese. On average, they may grow to 1.2 m to 1.5 m long, but may sometimes grow up to 2.4 m. This species is found with a light olive or brown ground color, with elongated brown or green blotches and a whitish belly that has dark coloring along the edges.

Unlike most pit vipers, the habu lays eggs as opposed to giving birth to live young. After 5 to 6 weeks of incubation, the hatchlings emerge and are about 25 cm long, resembling the adults. These snakes are terrestrial and mostly nocturnal. In the wild, they are found often in a transition zone between palm forests and cultivated fields, as well as in caves and tombs. They are also often known to enter homes and other structures in search of rats and mice.

They are known to bite people much more often than other snakes and have an especially toxic venom, yet the fatality rate is less than 1%. If a bite victim receives prompt medical care, the bites are not considered life threatening.

On the island of Okinawa, they are hunted and used to make a type of liqueur called "habushu" which is made with a spirit called awamori and the body of an actual habu.