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Bitis
''Bitis'' is a genus of venomous vipers found in Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. It includes the largest and the smallest vipers in the world. Members are known for their characteristic threat displays that involve inflating and deflating their bodies while hissing and puffing loudly. The type species for this genus is '' B. arietans'', which is also the most widely distributed viper in Africa. Currently, 18 species are recognized. Members of the genus are commonly known as African adders,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . African vipers,Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. . or puff adders. Description Size variation within this genus is extreme, ranging from the very small '' B. schneideri'', which grows to a maximum of and is perhaps the world's smallest viperid, to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bitis Gabonica
The Gaboon viper (''Bitis gabonica''), also called the Gaboon adder, is a viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume). Like all other vipers, it is venomous. It is the largest member of the genus ''Bitis'',Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. and it has the longest fangs of any venomous snake – up to 2 inches (5 cm) in length – and the highest venom yield of any snake. No subspecies are recognized. Taxonomy The Gaboon viper was described in 1854 as ''Echidna Gabonica''. Lenk ''et al.'' (1999) discovered genetic differences between the two conventionally recognized subspecies of ''B. g. gabonica'' and ''B. g. rhinoceros''. According to their research, these two subspecies are as geneticall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bitis Nasicornis
''Bitis nasicornis'' is a viper species found in the forests of West and Central Africa. This large viper is known for its striking coloration and prominent nasal "horns". No subspecies are currently recognized. Its common names include butterfly viper, rhinoceros viper, and river jack.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. .Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Description Large and stout,Spawls S, Howell K, Drewes R, Ashe J. 2004. ''A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa''. London: A & C Black Publishers Ltd. 543 pp. . it ranges in total length (body + tail) from 72 to 107 cm (about 28 to 42 inches). Spawls et al. (2004) mentioned a maximum total length of , but admitted this is exceptional, quoting an average total length of 60–90&nb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bitis Arietans
The puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') is a viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions.U.S. Navy. 1991. ''Venomous Snakes of the World''. US Govt. New York: Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. . It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition.Spawls S, Howell K, Drewes R, Ashe J. 2004. ''A Field Guide to the Reptiles Of East Africa''. A & C Black Publishers Ltd., London. 543 pp. . Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here. The species is commonly known as the puff adder,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 359 pp. .Spawls S, Branch B. 199 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bitis Schneideri
:''Common names: Namaqua dwarf adder, Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . Spawls S, Branch B (1995). ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. . spotted dwarf adder, Schneider's adder.'' ''Bitis schneideri'' is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to a small coastal region that straddles the border between Namibia and South Africa. ''B. scneideri'' is the smallest species in the genus ''Bitis'' and possibly the world's smallest viper. There are no subspecies that are currently recognized as being valid. Etymology The specific name, ''schneideri'', was given by Oskar Boettger in honor of "''Dr. Oskar Schneider in Dresden'' ", a friend of Boettger. Oskar Schneider (1841–1903) was a conchologist. Description With an average total length (includi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bitis Albanica
The Albany adder (''Bitis albanica'') is a viper species. It was previously considered a subspecies of ''Bitis cornuta''. Its range is restricted to eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa. Like all vipers, it is venomous. It is extremely rare, and had been thought potentially extinct until four live specimens and one road kill were found in late 2016 or early 2017. Only 12 individuals have been identified since the species was discovered in 1937. Description This subspecies does not have the "horns" that are characteristic of the nominate race, '' B. c. cornuta'', although it does have prominent bumps over the eyes. The coloration is brown to reddish brown, and they may also lack the distinctive pattern of the typical form.Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. . This is a small adder. Maximum recorded snout to vent length (SVL) for males is ; maximum recorded SVL for females is . Branch, Bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keeled Scales
Keeled scales refer to reptile scales that, rather than being smooth, have a ridge down the center that may or may not extend to the tip of the scale, Campbell, J. A., Lamar, W. W. (2004). ''The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere''. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates. 870 pp. 1,500 plates. . making them rough to the touch. According to Street's (1979) description of European lizards and snakes, in those that have keeled scales the keels are usually stronger in male specimens and are consistently arranged according to the species of reptiles, even though many others do not have them. With European lizards, the dorsal scales are usually well keeled, while those on the flanks are more weakly keeled and those on the belly smooth. Street, D. (1979). ''The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. . Non-European lizards such as ''Sphaerodactylus macrolepis'' also display keeled scales. Klauber (1997), describes how the keels on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Venomous Snake
Venomous snakes are Species (biology), species of the Suborder (biology), suborder Snake, Serpentes that are capable of producing Snake venom, venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the Family (biology), families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine , while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties. There are about 600 venomous snake species in the world. Evolu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blasius Merrem
Blasius Merrem (4 February 1761 – 23 February 1824) was a German naturalist, zoologist, ornithologist, mathematician, and herpetologist. In 1804, he became the professor of political economy and botany at the University of Marburg. Early life Merrem was born at Bremen, and studied at the University of Göttingen under Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. He developed an interest in zoology, particularly ornithology. Ornithology He is remembered chiefly as the first ornithologist to propose a division of birds into Ratitae ( ratites or running birds, with a flat sternum) and Carinatae (carinates or flying birds, with a keeled sternum), which formed part of his classification of birds in ''Tentamen Systematis Naturalis Avium'', published in Berlin in 1816 (in ''Abhandlugen Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1812–1813: Phys. Kl.''). Herpetology Similarly, in his 1820 opus, ''Versuch eines Systems der Amphibien'', he was the first scientist to accurately separate amphibians from reptiles, to sep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supraocular Scales
In scaled reptiles, supraocular scales are (enlarged) scales on the crown immediately above the eye.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . The size and shape of these scales are among the many characteristics used to differentiate species from each another. In many species of boids and viperids, the supraoculars are heavily fragmented. In others, such as the colubrids and elapids, they are enlarged. See also * Ocular scales * Snake scales * Anatomical terms of location Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position pro ... References {{Reflist Snake scales ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti
Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti (4 December 1735, Vienna – 17 February 1805, Vienna) was an Austrian naturalist and zoologist of Italian origin. Laurenti is considered the auctor of the class Reptilia (reptiles) through his authorship of ' (1768) on the poisonous function of reptiles and amphibians. This was an important book in herpetology, defining thirty genera of reptiles; Carl Linnaeus's 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' in 1758 defined only ten genera. ''Specimen Medicum'' contains a description of the blind salamander (amphibian): ''Proteus anguinus'', purportedly collected from cave waters in Slovenia (or possibly western Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...); this description represented one of the first published accounts of a cave animal in the w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viviparous
Among animals, viviparity is development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. This is opposed to oviparity which is a reproductive mode in which females lay developing eggs that complete their development and hatch externally from the mother. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous' derive from the Latin ''vivus'' meaning "living" and ''pario'' meaning "give birth to". Reproductive mode Five modes of reproduction have been differentiated in animals based on relations between zygote and parents. The five include two nonviviparous modes: ovuliparity, with external fertilisation, and oviparity, with internal fertilisation. In the latter, the female lays zygotes as eggs with a large yolk; this occurs in all birds, most reptiles, and some fishes. These modes are distinguished from viviparity, which covers all the modes that result in live birth: *Histotrophic viviparity: the zygotes develop in the female's oviducts, but find their nutrients by oophagy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crotalinae
The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfamily of vipers found in Eurasia and the Americas. Like all other vipers, they are venomous. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on both sides of the head. Currently, 23 genera and 155 species are recognized: These are also the only viperids found in the Americas. The groups of snakes represented here include rattlesnakes, lanceheads, and Asian pit vipers. The type genus for this subfamily is ''Crotalus'', of which the type species is the timber rattlesnake, ''C. horridus''. These snakes range in size from the diminutive hump-nosed viper, ''Hypnale hypnale'', that grows to a typical total length (including tail) of only , to the bushmaster, ''Lachesis muta'', a specie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
