Causus defilippii is a venomous

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 viper

Viperidae

The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 found in East Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

. No subspecies are currently recognized. Its common name is snouted night adder.

Description

The average length is 20–35 cm, rarely exceeding 50 cm.

The head is short and wide and the snout is prominent, pointed and upturned. The rostral is large. The eyes are medium sized. The circumorbital ring consists of 1–2 preocular scales, 1–2 postoculars and 1–2 suboculars that separate the eye from the supralabials. There are a total of 6–7 supralabials and 7–10 sublabials. The first 3–4 sublabials are in contact with the chin shields

Chin shields

Chin shields on a snake are scales found on the underside of the snake's head towards the anterior and touching the lower labial scales.Chin shields to the front of the snake are called anterior chin shields while those to the rear of the snake are called posterior chin shields....

. The posterior chin shields are very small and indistinguishable from other posterior scales. The temporal scales

Temporal scales

In reptiles, the temporal scales are those scales on the side of the head between the parietal scales and the supralabial scales, and behind the postocular scales.There are two types of temporal scales:...

 number 2+3, sometimes 2+4 and rarely 1+2.

Midbody there are 16–18 rows of weakly keeled dorsal scales

Dorsal scales

In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...

 that have a velvety appearance. There are 108–128 ventral scales

Ventral scales

In snakes, the ventral scales are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that contacts the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side...

: rarely more than 117 in males or less than 118 in females. The anal scale

Anal scale

In snakes, the anal scale is the scale just in front of and covering the cloacal opening. This scale can be either single or paired . When paired, the division is oblique. It is preceded by the ventral scales and followed by the subcaudal scales....

 is single. The subcaudals number 10–19: seldom less than 14 in males or more than 15 in females.

The color pattern consists of a light brown, pinkish brown to gray or grayish green ground color, overlaid with a series of 20–30 crescent-shaped dark markings that run down the back. However, these marking may be indistinct. The head has a characteristic V-shaped marking with the apex on the frontal plate. There is also an oblique dark streak present behind the eye. The belly is yellowish while, uniformly colored or with scattered small grayish brown spots. Juvenile specimens are commonly a glossy black or gray.

Geographic range

Found in coastal Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

 and Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

 through eastern Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

 (Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

, Zambia

Zambia

Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....

, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...

, Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

) to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 (Northern, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces) as far south as Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

, and on Zanzibar Island. The type locality was originally listed as "Buenos Ayres"; obviously a mistake. Africa, according to Broadley (1971), Puku.

Habitat

Occurs in moist and dry savanna, coastal thickets and forests from sea level to around 1800 m altitude. They favor moist surroundings, but have also been found in dry areas on rocky hillsides and escarpments.

Behavior

Generally nocturnal, but not entirely. They are mostly terrestrial, but sometimes climb into low vegetation in pursuit of frogs and are also good swimmers. When not basking, they remain hidden in ground cover, brush piles and in holes. If disturbed, they inflate themselves and hiss. They are slow-moving for the most part, but can strike quickly. In captivity, however, they soon become tame and unwilling to strike.

Venom

Little is known about the venom, but the symptoms described in the few existing cases histories include rapid swelling, fever, sometimes intense pain and occasionally lymphadenopathy

Lymphadenopathy

Lymphadenopathy is a term meaning "disease of the lymph nodes." It is, however, almost synonymously used with "swollen/enlarged lymph nodes". It could be due to infection, auto-immune disease, or malignancy....

. The swelling usually subsided after 2–3 days and there have not been any reports of necrosis

Necrosis

Necrosis is the premature death of cells in living tissue. Necrosis is caused by factors external to the cell or tissue, such as infection, toxins, or trauma. This is in contrast to apoptosis, which is a naturally occurring cause of cellular death...

. Currently, there is no antivenin

Antivenin

Antivenom is a biological product used in the treatment of venomous bites or stings. Antivenom is created by milking venom from the desired snake, spider or insect. The venom is then diluted and injected into a horse, sheep or goat...

that provides protection against bites from this species.

External links

• Causus defilippii image 1/2 at Glades Herp Farm Inc. Accessed 9 August 2007.
• Causus defilippii image 2/2 at Glades Herp Farm Inc. Accessed 9 August 2007.