Snouted Night Adder

About the Snouted Night Adder

Causus defilippii, also known commonly as the snouted night adder, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to East Africa and Southern Africa. Although its venom is nonlethal to humans, it is still considered medically significant. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

The specific name, defilippii, is in honor of Italian zoologist Filippo De Filippi. The average total length (including tail) of C. defilippii is 20–35 cm (8–14 in), rarely exceeding 50 cm (20 in). 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 anterior chin shields. The posterior chin shields are very small and indistinguishable from other posterior scales. The temporal scales number 2+3, sometimes 2+4, and rarely 1+2.

Midbody there are 16–18 rows of weakly keeled dorsal scales that... Wikipedia →