Albany adder

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Albany adder
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Bitis
Species:
B. albanica
Binomial name
Bitis albanica
Hewitt, 1937[2]
Synonyms

The Albany adder (Bitis albanica) is a

Bitis cornuta.[4][3] Its range is restricted to eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa.[5] Like all vipers, it is venomous
.

It is extremely rare, and had been thought potentially extinct until four live specimens and one

road kill were found in late 2016 or early 2017.[6] Only 12 individuals have been identified since the species was discovered in 1937.[6]

Description

This subspecies does not have the "horns" that are characteristic of the

B. c. cornuta, although it does have prominent bumps over the eyes. The coloration is brown to reddish brown, and they may also lack the distinctive pattern of the typical form.[7]

This is a small adder. Maximum recorded snout to vent length (SVL) for males is 27 cm (11 in); maximum recorded SVL for females is 22.5 cm (8.9 in).[8]

Taxonomy

Branch (1999) elevated B. c. albanica to species level: Bitis albanica.[3]

It is commonly known as the Albany adder,[9] eastern hornsman adder, or eastern many-horned adder.[5]

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa.[5]

The

type locality is listed as "The Dene (Port Elizabeth), Addo, and from dry scrub districts near Grahamstown such as Brak Kloof, farm Springvale, and Kleinpoort near Committees ... Eastern Cape Province, South Africa."[2]

References

Further reading

  • Branch WR. 1999. Dwarf adders of the Bitis cornuta-inornata complex (Serpentes: Viperidae) in Southern Africa. Kaupia (Darmstadt) (8): 39-63.
  • Hewitt J. 1937. A Guide to the Vertebrate Fauna of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, Part II: Reptiles, Amphibians, and Freshwater Fishes. Grahamstown, South Africa: Albany Museum. vii + 141 pp. (Bitis cornuta albanica, p. 76.)