Poiionouj Snakp'i ■■>' ''i-- Wnr/i 



KliiMlfsiii siiiilhuaiil l<> .s>>iiilii'i II Siiiilh\v<>st Afi'lru Mild 

 Xalill. 



iK'imiirkit: Tills siimll \l|u'r Is iIi'Si-i'IIiimI ( Kll/Sliiiuiis. 

 I'.MIJ: ;Vj;Sl as "fXi-fiMHiiuly Irnscllilc niul Is very iiiilrU 

 III liltr oil tlu> It-ast iiriiviM'iUlitli." Miiiiy iiciiidc have 

 hcfii l.lllcii Willi iitlflii|itoil 111 pick up a iimlc vlprr in 

 llif usual rasliiiiii t i.i'.. JusI lit'liiiul llic hcaili. A|ipar- 

 piilly llic pfi-ullar Imdy iiii>rpliiilii«y makes I Ills iiiinl 

 vlsaliU". 



Ill a strike, tlie head Is llirowii iivi-r Hit' vicliiu, llii- 

 sides of the lower jaw are drawn medially to expose 

 the faiiKs (often only one), and then the head is jerked 

 downwaiil mid liackward to embed the faii;;s in the 

 viitiiii. 



Tlie bite of even a small individual causes intense 

 liHiil pain and swelliii};. and dl'leii has severe syslemif 

 effects as well. 



Xo antivenin is iiimluccd tor tliis f;i'"iip of vi|iers. 



Western Mole Viper, Afracfftfiptu corpulenta ( ITiil- 

 lowell). 



Iili iili/itatiiiii: A slate-colored, rather stout viper with 

 small head and strongly-projecliii),' snout. Adults aver- 

 age IS to 20 inches in length : occasional individuals 

 may attain a length of 2 feet. 



Dor.sal color slate-gray or .slate-liluc ; often tcnuiiial 

 portion of tail white. Lighter underneatli. 



Five sii|iralaliials and a single anterior tciiipoiMl : 

 second infralabial greatly enlarged, fused with chin 

 shields and in contact with its fellow. Dorsals 23-29 

 at midliody. X'entrals 17.S-20S; anal plate entire: suh- 

 caudals 22-2,S. all or nearly all single. 



Distribution: The tropical rain forest region from 

 the Ivory Coa.st to the eastern Congo. 



I' on (I lies: Little appears to have been recorded con- 

 cerning the habits or the effect of the bite of this small 

 viper. Nevertheless, it should be regarded with suspi- 

 cion and treated with respect (See Kemarks under A. 

 Iiihroiiii and -1. niicrnlriiirfota.) 



Northern AAole Viper, Af/'/icf(i.s/>t.s viicrole'p'tdotu 

 (iiiiitlu'V. 



Iilciitification: A slender, small headed and short- 

 snouted viper that is black or dark brown above and 

 below. Adults average 20 to 24 inches In length ; oc- 

 casional individuals approach a length of 30 inches. 



Color uniform dark brown or black, usually witli a 

 bluish .sheen, above and below. 



Six or seven supralabials and 2-3 anterior temporals: 

 none of infralabials greatly enlarged. Dorsals in 25- 

 37 rows at midbody. Ventrals 210-24.") ; anal plate entire 

 or divided: subcaudals 23-.S7, all or mostly single. 



Di.itrihiition: The savannah regions of northern and 

 western Africa from Mauritania to Somalia, I'ganda, 

 and Ken.va. It is al.so known from various localities in 

 the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula ( AtractaniHS 

 micnihpiiliitu aiiitcrxoiiii Boulenger) but the relation- 

 ships of this form with other species is not clear. 



Rcmarh-i: This snake is one of the commonest poi- 

 sonous snakes in the Sudan (Corkill, 1935: 30) and is 



said to be the .second most freipieiit cause of snakebite 

 accidents and ilealli. Of three cases in which this 

 mole viper was Ideiil illcil. one adult man died anil two 

 (also adults), Ihouuli hit ten by small snakes, werr- very 

 seriously affected. .\ linger series (Corkill, Ul.")(>) gave 

 a 2."i percent niorlalily. 



\o antivenin is produced for Ibis group of snakes. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Bitis Gray, 1842. 

 .V I'lii-aii vipci's. 



Ten sjieeies are I'ounil in tropical and southern Africa. 

 They include the largest of the true vijiers (Viperidae) 

 as well as some small and moderately sized ones; all 

 of the members of (his genus arc ilaiigerous, some of 

 them extremely so, 



Drfinition: Head broad and very distinct from nar- 

 row neck; snout ,short, a distinct canthns, Hody some- 

 what depressed, moderately to extremely stout; tail 

 short. 



K.ves small: pupils vcrlicall.v elliptical. 



Head scales: Xo enlarged plates on crown, covered 

 with small scales. Some species have enlarged and erect 

 scales on snout or above eye. Laterally, rostral sepa- 

 rated froiu nasal by (in li. worthingtoni) to G (in 

 some li. nasirornis) rows of small scales, eye separated 

 from supralabials by 2-5 rows of small scales. 



I'ody scales : Dorsals keeled with apical pits, in 21- 

 4(! nonoblique or slightly oblique rows at midbody, fewer 

 anteriorly and posteriiu-ly. \'entrals rounded or with 

 faint lateral keels, 112-1.53; subcaudals paired, laterally 

 keeled in some sjiecies, 10-37, 



Horned Puff Adder, /.'/V/s- nnit/nJ/s (Sniitli). 



Tdrntifiration: A faded, light-colored desert viper 

 with short snout and raised supraorbital ridges. A 

 single hornlike spine over the eye is characteristic of 

 this species, but rarely it may be absent. Similar South 

 African vipers usually have either multiple "horns" (li. 

 c(irnuta) or lack them entirely (Ji. atropos). Adults 

 average 12 to 15 inches in length : record length is "close 

 on 20 inches." 



t 



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y^r 



FiGTRE 69. — Horned I'liff Adder, liitia miiiluUx. I'hoto 

 by New York Zoological Society. 



TOO 



