Bitis (Bitis) arietans (Merrem, 1820)

Conradie, Werner, Baptista, Ninda L., Verburgt, Luke, Keates, Chad, Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2021, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 1: Serpentes (snakes), Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 292) 15 (2), pp. 244-278 : 269

Bitis (Bitis) arietans (Merrem, 1820)

Puff Adder ( Fig. 34 , Map 33)

Material: PEM R 23296, Delala River, near Samunanga village, Moxico Province, -12.93169° 18.81458°, 1,363 m asl; PEM R 23373, en route from Quembo to Cuanavale, Moxico Province, -13.50839° 19.14667°, 1,389 m asl; PEM R 23394, Cubango River Source, -12.66068° 16.09468°, 1,763 m asl. Additional photographic record: Cuatir, Cuando Cubango Province, -16.48523° 18.20304°, Stefan van Wyk. Description: Dorsal scales heavily keeled, in 28–31 rows at midbody; 121– 129 smooth ventrals; 23–29 paired subcaudals; 7–9 interorbitals; 3 interoculabials; 13–15 circumorbitals; 13–16 supralabials; 16 infralabials, the first four in contact with the anterior chin shield; cloacal scale entire. Largest female: 309 + 36 mm ( PEM R 23394); largest male: 631 + 98 mm ( PEM R 23296). Habitat and natural history notes: The specimens from the source lakes area were found in open grassland associated with the drainage lines. Comment: This venomous species is common and widespread throughout Angola ( Marques et al. 2018).

Figures

Fig. 34. Bitis (Bitis) arietans from Delala River, near Samunanga village. Photo by Luke Verburgt.