Atheris nitschei

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Atheris nitschei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Atheris
Species:
A. nitschei
Binomial name
Atheris nitschei
Tornier, 1902
Synonyms[1]
  • Atheris nitschei
    Tornier, 1902
  • Atheris woosnami
    Boulenger, 1906
  • Atheris nitschei
    — Boulenger, 1915
  • Atheris nitschei nitschei
    — Bogert, 1940
  • [Atheris] nitschei
    — Broadley, 1996
Common names: Great Lakes bush viper, Nitsche's bush viper,[2][3] more.

Atheris nitschei is a species of venomous snake, a viper in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to Africa. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[4]

Taxonomy

The former subspecies Atheris nitschei rungweensis from southwestern Tanzania, northeastern Zambia and northern Malawi was elevated to species rank as Atheris rungweensis.

Etymology

The

zoologist Hinrich Nitsche (1845–1902).[5]

The 1906 junior synonym, A. woosnami, was in honor of Kenyan game ranger Richard Bowen Woosnam (1880–1915), who later fought in World War I and was killed in action at

Gallipoli.[5]

Description

Illustration

Atheris nitschei is a relatively large and stout bush viper, growing to an average total length (including tail) of 60 cm (24 in) and a maximum total length of at least 80 cm (31 in). The males are smaller than the females. [citation needed]

Common names

Common names for A. nitschei include Great Lakes bush viper, Nitsche's bush viper,[2][3] black and green bush viper, Nitsche's tree viper.[6] sedge viper, green viper, bush viper.[7]

Geographic range

Atheris nitschel is found in forests of the Central African Albertine Rift, in southern and eastern DR Congo, Uganda, western Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Zambia.[4]

The

type locality is listed as "Mpororosumpf, Deutsch-Ost-Afrika" [Mpororo swamp, Tanzania-Rwanda border].[1]

Habitat

Preferred

scrub and bush in valleys at higher elevations, and in mountain forests up to the bamboo zone at 1,600–2,800 m (5,200–9,200 ft) altitude. It is common in papyrus reed around small lakes.[3]

Venom

Atheris nitschi has highly toxic venom like others in the Atheris genus. Not much is known about their venom but envenomation has caused severe bleeding and hemorrhaging.[8]

Reproduction

A. nitschei is viviparous.[4]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 1-893777-01-4
    (volume).
  2. ^
    ISBN 0-88359-029-8
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 0-89464-877-2
    .
  4. ^ a b c Atheris nitschei at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 5 September 2021.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5
    . (Atheris nitschei, p. 191; A. woosnami, p. 289).
  6. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X
    .
  7. ISBN 0-398-02808-7
    .
  8. S2CID 25512959
    – via PubMed.

Further reading

  • Broadley DG (1998). "A review of the genus Atheris Cope (Serpentes: Viperidae), with the description of a new species from Uganda". Herpetological Journal 8 (3): 117–135. (Atheris nitschei, pp. 121–122, Figure 2).
  • ISBN 978-1472935618
    . (Atheris nitschei, p. 591).
  • Tornier G (1902). "Herpetologisch Neues aus Deutsch-Ost-Afrika ". Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abtheilung für Systemaik, Geographie und Biologie der Thiere (Jena) 15: 578–590. (Atheris nitschei, new species, pp. 589–590). (in German).

External links


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