Southern adder
| Southern adder | |
|---|---|
| File:Bitis armata 183317452.jpg | |
| File:Bitis armata 46045953.jpg | |
| Scientific classification Edit this classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Bitis |
| Species: | B. armata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Bitis armata (A. Smith, 1826)
| |
The southern adder (Bitis armata) is an endangered species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. It is endemic to the Western Cape in South Africa.[2]
Description
[edit | edit source]The southern adder averages 20 cm in length (with a maximum length of 40 cm). It has two white bands beneath and between the eye. It has horned tufts above the eyes. The southern adder is greyish-brown in colour, with dark brown patterning down the centre.[3]
Distribution
[edit | edit source]The southern adder is found in three separate subpopulations on the southwestern coastal margins of the Western Cape. Previously, a fourth subpopulation in Cape Town is thought to be locally extinct. The northern subpopulation is found from West Coast National Park to approximately 20 km north of Cape Town. The southeastern subpopulation is found near Hermanus and near De Hoop Nature Reserve.[1]
Habitat and Ecology
[edit | edit source]The southern adder is found near limestone rock in Fynbos vegetation.[3]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Bitis armata at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2 August 2007.
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
[edit | edit source]- Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
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