The specific name, stejnegeri, is in honor of Leonhard Stejneger, the Norwegian-born, American herpetologist who worked at the Smithsonian Institution for over 60 years.

[7] The color pattern is bright to dark green above, pale green to whitish below, the two separated by a bright bicolored orange or brown (below) and white (above) (males) or bicolored or white only (females) ventrolateral stripe, which occupies the whole of the outermost scale row and a portion of the second row.

[7] Bamboo vipers are carnivores: they eat small rodents, birds, frogs, and lizards.

Within a few minutes of being bitten, the surrounding flesh dies and turns black, highlighting the puncture wounds.

The size of the necrotic area depends on the amount of venom injected and the depth of the bite.