Poijonous Snokes of iho World 



III liiivliiK II mIiikIc |>I'<-<>i'|iIiii' I ^t In iiiiiiiiIiiim) In iiiiitnil 

 Willi tin- iiiiMul or s)-|innilril ri-niu li li.v a "lon-iil" (wlilrly 

 sfpariilcil liy prffroiiliil In iiiiinibiis). Ailiills avi'iiim- 

 t; 111 7 ffft In IciiKlli; rt'ciinl 7 fi'i-t, II inrlii-H. 



liorsnl siirfart- iinli-olor slilny Mack : iinilci'iiralli Ihc 

 iiiiliTlnr liiilf Is yi'lliiw Willi tilark-iiiaruliifil vi'iilriils, 

 the I'liuk ln'ioiiilni: (irnKrcsslvi'ly linnulcr |i(islrriiii-ly, 

 tail Mark. 



Itnrsals III I'l I'lius nil iiiM-k ami :il iniillpnily. II 

 pusitTlorly. 



Hinliihiiliiiii: Tlu" Irupirnl lain I'lui'sl if:;liiii I'ldiii 

 Nltft'i-ia riistwnnl to rganda and Mmlliunrd In S<iiilli- 

 wi-st Afilnl. 



I,'iiiiiiik.i: This colna is rarely ciirnuiiliicd and ncilli- 

 In;; appears Id 1h' known (if its vcnniii. A clDscly-ri'latcil 

 anil pimrly-known spcrics, /'. iiii/rii (innllicr. ranges 

 wi'stwanl ti> Sicrru I.t-nnt'. 



\i) antivonin is proiluceil for I'illur "( |]icsi> spcrii's. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Adenorhinos Marx & Rabb, 1965. 

 \\'oiin-eiitiiij:; viper. 



A siiiKlo species, .1. Iiarhoiiii ( Lovcridye), is ro<-iif;- 

 iii/.eil in this recently described genus from Tanzania. 

 It is a small species, reportedly feeding on eaitlnvornis, 

 and is not believed to l)e dangerous. 



Ili/iiiiliiiii: Head nioilcrately broad and distinct from 

 neck; snout short and rnundcd : canthus rostralis oliluse. 

 liody moderately slender; tail moderate in length. 



Kyes very large ( T,4 times the distance to lip) ; pupils 

 vertically elliptical. 



Head scales: No enlarged scutes on crown, covered 

 with small imbricate keeled scales. Laterally, nostril 

 in anterior part of single nasal, which has a posterior 

 ilepression : nasal in conta<t with preocular; a single 

 ni\v (if subocnlars separating eye from upper labials; 

 anterior and posterior temporals single. 



Hody scales: Dorsals keeled except for first row, 

 in 20-23 rows at midbody. Ventrals rounded, llG-122 ; 

 snbcaudals single, 10-21. 



I'liiiKihs: This species was recently removed from 

 the genns Mlicris by Jlarx and Rabb (190."): ISC). 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Athens Cope, 1862. 

 .Vl'iicaii liiisli \ipefs. 



Six species are recognized in the genus, which is re- 

 stricted to tropical Africa. All (jf the species are rela- 

 tively small, prehensile-tailed, arboreal snakes which 

 reach a maximum length of less than .3 feet. Although 

 few bites have been recorded, the recent description 

 of a bite from a small specimen (Knoepffler, 1065) sug- 

 gests that the bite of a .30-inch individual might be a 

 hazard. 



Drfinitiiin: Head very broad and sharply distinct 

 from narrow neck ; canthus distinct, snout broad. Uody 

 relatively slender, taiiering, slightly compressed; tail 

 prehensile, moderate in length. 



Eyes moderately large ; pupils vertically elliptical. 



Head scales : Xo enlarged jilates on crown, covered 



with Kiniill imbricate nciiIcs which may be sinoolb >>r 

 keeled, I.alcrally, 2 .'! Hal scales belween nasal iiml 

 eye; eye sepanilcil fvmw labials by I .'t rows of Miiall 

 scales. 



Ilody scales: |)(Osuls si rongly kcclc(l, wllb apical 

 pits; lateral scales sniiiller than those near dorsal mid- 

 line, not serrated; scales In l.'i .'td obllipie rows at mid- 

 body, fewer 111 I'.H posteriorly. Venlrals rouiiilcil, 112- 

 IT.'i; snbciindals single. '.\s 07. 



I^iiiiiiihn: .Marx and Kabb ( lOC.'i : ISC) removed A. 

 liiirliDiiri Loveridge from .W/io/.i and made it the type 

 (if a new genus, AdcnuiliinDn. (See also remarks under 

 li/K/u .iKiiirriliariH.) 



Sedge Viper, Atlwris nitsclK'i 'roiiiiei'. 



Iilriili/icalioii : \ rather stout-bodied arboreal vijier, 

 usually green wilh black markings. Dorsal scales rela- 

 tively small ami numerous, .\diilts average 20 to 24 

 inches in length: ]-e((jr(l Icnglh is 2.S^1 inches (Pitman, 

 I'.ar,: 28.j). 



Crown of head usually green with a V-shaped or A- 

 shaped mark; sometimes almost entirely black. Body 

 bright to olive green, irregularly marked uilh black or 

 with scales tipped with black, occasionally almost uni- 

 cob.r black with a lighter tail. Belly distinctly lighter 

 than dorsal surface, yellowish or very pale green. 



Dorsals in 2.V32 rows at midbody, the same number 

 or more on neck, fewer (10) posteriorly. Venlrals 143- 

 ICA ; snbcaudals 3.S-.-),S. 



})islrihiilio}i: Mountain areas of the eastern Congo 

 and T'ganda southward to northern Rhodesia. Some- 

 times found on the ground but usually in the reeds and 



FiouKE GO. — Sedge Viper, Atlicrix iiitscJici. Photo by 

 New York Zoological Society. ( See also plate VII, 

 figure G. ) 



98 



