White-bellied sand rattle otter
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White-bellied sand rattle otter ( Echis leucogaster ) |
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| Echis leucogaster | ||||||||||||
| Novel , 1972 |
The white-bellied sand rattle otter ( Echis leucogaster ) is a species of the vipers (Viperidae) and belongs to the genus of the sand rattle otter ( Echis ). The snake was not described until 1972, and there is hardly any information about its way of life. Like all sand rattle otters, this species has a potent venom.
features
The white-bellied sand rattle otter is a medium-sized sand rattle otter with an average body length of 30 to 70 cm and maximum lengths of up to 87 cm. The body color and pattern is variable, the spectrum of the basic colors ranges from brown to gray to red-brown. On the back the snake shows a row of light saddle spots arranged at an angle, which are interrupted by darker bars. The flanks are lighter and usually have a series of triangular or rounded dark spots with a light border. The eponymous belly is very light from cream-colored to white or ivory-colored with fine speckles.
The head is clearly separated from the neck and has the shape of a rounded triangle. The eyes on the front of the head are pale yellow, large and have vertical, slit-shaped pupils . The scaling corresponds to that of the common sand-rattle otter ( E. carinatus ). The top of the head is accordingly covered by many irregular and keeled scales. Below the eyes there are two rows of under eye shields ( supraocularia ), below are 10 to 12 upper lip shields ( supralabials ).
The scales of the body are also strongly keeled and by rubbing against each other can produce the rattling noise typical of the sand rattle otters . There are between 27 and 33 rows of scales around the middle of the body. The ventral side has 165 to 180 ventral shields and like all members of the genus Echis (and unlike all other vipers) Echis leucogaster also has undivided under- tail shields ( subcaudalia ).
distribution and habitat
The type specimens of this species come from Boubon in Niger , about 20 kilometers northwest of the city center of the capital Niamey . In addition, the species occurs in northwest Africa in Mauritania , southern Algeria and the extreme south of Morocco, as well as in West Africa in Burkina Faso , Mali , Guinea and Nigeria .
As a habitat, the snake prefers dry savannahs , semi-deserts and wadis in desert areas. The species does not occur in very dry desert areas, but it can also be found in oases or other vegetation areas in the desert.
Way of life
Very little is known about the way of life of the white-bellied sand rattle otter. It feeds like all species of the group of small mammals and other small vertebrates, especially lizards. She also hunts scorpions and centipedes . The species is likely to lay eggs.
literature
- David Mallow, David Ludwig, Göran Nilson: True Vipers. Natural History and Toxicology of Old World Vipers . Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar (Florida) 2003; Pp. 170-171, ISBN 0-89464-877-2 .
Web links
- Echis leucogaster in The Reptile Database
- Echis leucogaster inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Wilms, T., Wagner, P., Joger, U., Geniez, P., Mateo, JA, El Mouden, EH, Slimani, T. & Nouira, MS, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2014.