Causus resimus 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 isolated populations distributed across tropical Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Description

Averages 30-60 cm in length with a maximum of 75 cm. They appear relatively stout.

The head is short and slightly distinct from the neck with an upturned snout. The circumorbital ring includes 2 preoculars, 2 postoculars and 1-2 subocular scales. There are 6-7 sublabials. 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 (rarely 2+4).

Midbody there are 19-22 rows of faintly 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 131-155 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...

. 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. There are 16-27 paired subcaudals.

The color pattern consists of a green ground color that may be anything from bright green to olive. This is overlaid with a series dark inverted chevron-like crossbars that run down the back, similar to C. defilippii

Causus defilippii

Causus defilippii is a venomous viper species found in East 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....

and C. rhombeatus

Causus rhombeatus

Causus rhombeatus is a venomous viper species found in subsaharan Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:With an average length of 60 cm, this is the largest member of the genus Causus. The longest individual ever recorded was a 93 cm male collected in eastern Zimbabwe.The head...

. The chin and throat are yellow. The belly is a yellowish, cream or pearly in color.

Geographic range

Central

Central Africa

Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....

 and 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:...

 from Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

 east to Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

, Uganda

Uganda

Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...

, Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

, 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...

, Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

, and south to 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...

, Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...

, Burundi

Burundi

Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...

 and DR Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

. An isolated population occurs in western Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...

. The type locality is listed as "Sennâr, vom Gebel-Ghule" (Jebel Ghule, Sennar

Sennar (state)

Sennar is one of the 15 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 37,844 km² and an estimated population of approximately 1,100,000 . Singa is the capital of Sennar State. Another significant town is Sennar , largest city in the state...

, Sudan).

Habitat

Prefers low-lying moist savanna, wooded hills, high grasslands, and the riparian zone

Riparian zone

A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the fifteen terrestrial biomes of the earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by...

s of rivers that run through swamps, rocky gorges, coastal scrubland and semi-deserts. Also known to occur in man-made habitats, such as abandoned quarries, sugar cane plantations and in borrow pit

Borrow pit

A borrow pit, also known as a sand box, is a term used in construction and civil engineering. It describes an area where material has been dug for use at another location. Borrow pits can be found close to many major construction projects...

pools along roads.

Behavior

If disturbed, they inflate themselves and put on a ferocious hissing and puffing threat display. The front part of the body is raised and coiled from which position they tend to make sweeping and lashing strikes as opposed to a stabbing motion. They are mostly terrestrial, but are also good swimmers and have been known to climb into sedges in pursuit of prey. Despite their common name, they are diurnal and are often seen basking. They hide under ground cover when not active.

External links

• Causus resimus image 1/4 at CalPhotos. Accessed 6 June 2007.
• Causus resimus image 2/4 at CalPhotos. Accessed 6 June 2007.
• Causus resimus image 3/4 at CalPhotos. Accessed 6 June 2007.
• Causus resimus image 4/4 at CalPhotos. Accessed 6 June 2007.