:''Common names: burrowing vipers, burrowing asps, mole vipers,
[ Spawls S, Branch B (1995). ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa: Natural History, Species Directory, Venoms and Snakebite''. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. .] more
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.''
''Atractaspis'' is a
genus of
venomous snakes in the
family Lamprophiidae
The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022.
Biology
Lamprophiids are a very diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. ...
. The genus is
endemic to
Africa and the
Middle East. The genus contains 15
species that are recognized by ITIS.
Others recognize as many as 21
species.
[. www.reptile-database.org.] 23 are listed here.
Common names
Common names for snakes of the genus ''Atractaspis'' include burrowing vipers, burrowing asps, mole vipers, stiletto snakes, side-stabbing snakes. "Side stabbing" refers to the snakes' uncommon ability to strike with the side of their head and inject venom with one protruding fang.
Geographic range
Species of the genus ''Atractaspis'' are found mostly in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
, with a limited distribution in the
Jordan valley in
Israel,
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
and the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
.
Description
Members of the genus ''Atractaspis'' share the following characteristics. Venom fangs enormously developed; a few teeth on the
palatines, none on the
pterygoids;
mandibles
edentulous anteriorly, with 2 or 3 very small teeth in the middle of the
dentary bone
In anatomy, the mandible, lower jaw or jawbone is the largest, strongest and lowest bone in the human facial skeleton. It forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place. The mandible sits beneath the maxilla. It is the only movable bone ...
. Postfrontal bone absent. Head small, not distinct from neck, covered with large symmetrical shields; nostril between 2 nasals; no loreal; eye minute, with round pupil. Body cylindrical; dorsal scales smooth, without apical pits, in 17 to 37 rows; ventrals rounded. Tail short; subcaudals either single or in two rows.
[ Boulenger GA (1896). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History), Volume III., Containing the ... Viperidæ''. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. (Genus ''Atractaspis'', pp. 510-511, Figure 36).]
Species
''*) A taxon author in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Atractaspis''.
''**) Not including the
nominate subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
.''
See also
*
Snakebite
References
Further reading
*
Branch, Bill (2004). ''Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Genus ''Atractaspis'', pp. 61–62).
*
Smith A
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* Smith (given name)
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** List of people wit ...
(1849). ''Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa; Consisting Chiefly of Figures and Descriptions of the Objects of Natural History Collected during an Expedition into the Interior of South Africa, in the Years 1834, 1835, and 1836; Fitted out by "The Cape of Good Hope Association for Exploring Central Africa:" Together with a Summary of African Zoology, and an Inquiry into the Geographical Ranges of Species in that Quarter of the Globe''.
olume III. Reptilia London: Lords Commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury. (Smith, Elder and Co., printers). 48 plates + unnumbered pages of text. (''Atractaspis'', new genus).
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q646565
Atractaspididae
Snake genera
Taxa named by Andrew Smith (zoologist)