Atheris nitschei

Atheris nitschei is a species of highly 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.

Atheris nitschei
Scientific classification
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.

Taxonomy

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

Etymology

The specific name, nitschei, is in honor of German zoologist Hinrich Nitsche (1845–1902).[4]

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.[4]

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.

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.[5] sedge viper, green viper, bush viper.[6]

Geographic range

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

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

Habitat

Preferred habitats of A. nitschei are wetland and meadow areas, and elephant grass marshes, along small streams, sometimes in 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.[7]

Reproduction

A. nitschei is viviparous.[8]

References
  1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. Spawls S, Branch B (1995). The Dangerous Snakes of Africa. Dubai: Oriental Press / Ralph Curtis Books. 192 pp. ISBN 0-88359-029-8.
  3. Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. ISBN 0-89464-877-2.
  4. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 312 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Atheris nitschei, p. 191; A. woosnami, p. 289).
  5. Mehrtens JM (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  6. Brown JH (1973). Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7.
  7. Hatten, Benjamin W.; Bueso, Antonio; French, L. Keith; Hendrickson, Robert G.; Horowitz, B. Zane (February 1, 2013). "Envenomation by the Great Lakes Bush Viper (Atheris nitschei)". Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.). 51 (2): 114–116. doi:10.3109/15563650.2012.763134. PMID 23327286 – via PubMed.
  8. Species Atheris nitschei at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.

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).
  • Spawls S, Howell K, Hinkel H, Menegon M (2018). Field Guide to East African Reptiles, Second Edition. London: Bloomsbury Natural History. 624 pp. 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).


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