Shaba bush viper
| Shaba bush viper | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Atheris katangensis | ||||||||||||
| de Witte , 1953 |
The atheris katangensis ( Atheris katangensis ) is a kind of tree adapted to the life atheris ( Atheris ) within the vipers (Viperidae). Their distribution area is limited to the Shaba province, today Katanga , in the center of the Democratic Republic of the Congo .
features
The Shaba bush viper is a small species of viper with a body length of around 40 cm. The basic color is purple to yellow-brown with a pattern of paired lines that lead from the head to the tail over the back and vary slightly in color. These can be dissolved in a zigzag pattern. The ventral side and tail are yellow.
The head is flat and triangular with a rounded muzzle region. It is clearly separated from the slim body and covered with small, keeled scales. Around the middle of the body are 24 to 31 rows of strongly keeled scales. The tail is short and has in the males 45 to 59 and in the females 38 to 42 under tail shields ( Subcaudalia ).
distribution and habitat
The Shaba bush viper has so far only been found in the Shaba province in southern Zaire . The collections come from forest areas near rivers at altitudes of 1,200 to 1,500 meters.
literature
- David Mallow, David Ludwig, Göran Nilson: True Vipers. Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Krieger Publishing Company Malabar, Florida, 2003; Page 49. ISBN 0-89464-877-2