Craspedocephalus strigatus, commonly known as the horseshoe pit viper,[4] is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae.

[5] Endemic to the Western Ghats, in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala states of South India, C. strigatus is distributed in the Upper Nilgiri Mountains (Whitaker & Captain, 2004).

[3] The preferred natural habitats of C. strigatus are montane forests, shola patches, and grasslands, at altitudes of 1,100–2,400 m (3,600–7,900 ft).

[1] C. strigatus may be distinguished from other pit vipers of peninsular India based on the presence of small internasals, the second supralabial in contact with the loreal pit, 21 rows of smooth or weakly-keeled dorsal scales at midbody, and a single row of scales between labials and suboculars.

Dorsally, the snake is pale brownish or buff-coloured with darker blotches of grey and some white streaks.