Poisonous Snaket of tho World 



lirfiuliliiK mill ii|i|mrfiill,r iilsn liiliililts tin- liniiirli of llio 

 rnicus luTVr lliiil roiilriils lii'itrllii-at, Itils iiuisi's tlii" 

 lii'iirt to tit'iit wllilly. 



A |Hi|.vviilfiit antivrnlii i iiiiiiiilia ) is iirniliiii'il l>.v llir 

 Siiiitli Afrli'Mii IiiMtilulc fur Mi'iUrnl Ucscari'li, .loliaiiiirs 

 hiir).'. 



Western Green Mamba, I h ml nxtspts r/riti/.s (IIiil- 

 luwi'll). 



lilinti/iiiitiiDi : 'I'liis is anotluT of tlio arlxiroal niain- 

 bas. I.ilif many forest siiaki-s it lias an nvi'i-all ;;rci'n 

 or yt'llowisli color, but oacli of tlic dorsal sialfs. as 

 well as the head scales, is edsed with black. The dor- 

 sals are extremely larjie and narrow; each dorsal cxccpl 

 the one bordering the ventral row is equal to (wo 

 veutrals in length. This snake has fewer dorsal rows 



Fir.iRE .")!•. — Western (ireen .Maniba. Dcnilroaspis viridi-i. 

 The large oblique black-bordcrcd scales distinguish 

 this species. I'lioto l)y .New York Zooli>gical Society. 



Kyes small ; implls round 



Head sillies: 'i'lie usual '.' on Ihc crown; I'iipmImI long 

 Mild niii'i'ow, inlernasals sliorl ; rostr:il liniiid iinil 

 iiiiiiidcd. I.iilcrally. nasal in narrow coiiliicl wllli sin- 

 gle preocular. 



Itody scales: Dorsals snioolli. in l.'i rows al niidbody. 

 \'ciilnils 1<!(> U.'tll ; anal plalc divided: subciiiidals jiaired, 

 •2r> II. 



.\Ia\illary Icclli: Tud prn|inrlionatcly large luliular 

 fanus uillioiil cMcriKil grooves: no oilier Icclli on the 

 I 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Elapsoidea Bocage, 1866. 

 A t'riruii fijartiT siiiiki". 



A single species i A,'. hkiuIcluIIH ) with 11 geographic 

 races is currently recogniised. It ranges over most of 

 liopical and southern Africa except for the Cape region. 

 II altains a length of 3 to 4 feet and is iiotentially dan- 

 gerous. However, it is sluggish and inoffensive and 

 bites only in self-defense. 



Dcfiiiiliini : Head of moderate size, not distinct from 

 neck: an indistinct cantlius. Hody moderately slender, 

 cylindrical ; tail very short. 



Eyes small ; {lupils round. 



Head scales: The usual !l on the crown; rostral 

 enlarged, obtusely pointed ; internasals short. Laterally, 

 nasal in narrow contact with single preocular. 



Hody scales: Dorsals smooth and rounded, in 1,3 rows 

 at niidbody. Veutrals 1.3H-1.S4 ; anal plate entire; sub- 

 caudals paired (a few sometimes single), 13-19. 



Maxillary teeth : Two large tubular fangs with ex- 

 ternal groove followed, after an interspace, by 2-4 small 

 teeth. 



than any of the other snakes with whicli it might be 

 confused and also lacks the loreal scale typical of colu- 

 brid snakes. Xo other niamba occurs within its range. 

 .Vdults average to 7 feet in length. 



Dorsals in 13 rows at midbody, more (1.5) on the 

 neck, fewer (9) posteriorly. Ventrals 211-225; subcau- 

 dals 10.%-119. 



Dintrihution: The tropical rain forest areas of the 

 western bulge of Africa ; from the Senegal to the 

 Niger, also the island of Sao Tome. 



Remarks: Little appears to be known of the habits 

 of this west African mamba. 



A monovalent antivenln ( "Dendraspis" i is produced 

 b.v the Institut Pasteur. Pari.s. 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Elaps Schneider, 1801. 

 African dwuff oaitei' snakes. 



Two species are recognized: both are confined to 

 South Africa. One of the species (E. lactcus) attains 

 a length of about 2 feet but neither it nor its smaller 

 relative is considered dangerous. 



Definition: Head small, not distinct from neck; no 

 canthus. Body slender and cylindrical ; tail short. 



Figure 60. — Head Scales of African Garter Snake. Elap- 

 soidea siindevaliii. Note the broad rostral and short 

 internasals. (See also plate VIII, fig. 3) Redrawn 

 from Pitman. 1938. 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Hemacbafus Fleming, 1822. 

 Kinglials. 



A single species is recognized ; it is confined to south- 

 ern Africa. It is a highly developed "spitting" cobra 

 and is a dangerous species. 



94 



