noun
habu; yellow-spotted pit viper
A venomous pit viper native to the Ryukyu Islands. The name is typically written in katakana.
沖縄ではハブに注意するように言われます。
In Okinawa, people are told to watch out for habu snakes.
ハブは毒蛇の一種です。
The habu is a type of venomous snake.
Obscure kanji form; it is rarely used.
マムシ (mamushi) is a different pit viper species found on the Japanese mainland, while ハブ is specific to the Ryukyu Islands.
The word is likely derived from a Ryukyuan language; the exact origin is uncertain.