Mysteries of Okinawan habu venom decoded

It is more likely to see a habu snake in a bottle of Okinawan rice liquor than to see one slithering by the wayside. Even so, habus are very common in the Ryukyu islands, of which Okinawa is a part. Okinawa is home to three species of habu; the Okinawan habu (Protobothrops flavoviridis), endemic to the Ryukyu islands, is highly venomous.