The type locality is listed only as "interior parts of Africa." After they shed their skin, the bright colors fade quickly as silt from their generally moist habitat accumulates on the rough scales.įrom Guinea to Ghana in West Africa, and in Central Africa in the Central African Republic, southern Sudan, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, Angola, Rwanda, Uganda and western Kenya.
Western specimens are more blue, while those from the east are more green. The belly is dull green to dirty white, strongly marbled and blotched in black and gray. The top of the head is blue or green, overlaid with a distinct black arrow mark. Many of the lateral scales have white tips, giving the snake a velvety appearance.
#Rhino viper series#
A series of dark crimson triangles run down the flanks, narrowly bordered with green or blue. These are enclosed within irregular black rhombic blotches. The color pattern consists of a series of 15-18 blue or blue-green oblong markings, each with a lemon-yellow line down the center. (2004) state that there are 12-32 subcaudals, that they are paired, and that males having higher numbers of them. (2003) say that the subcaudals number 16-32 with males having a higher count (25-30) than females (16-19). There are 117-140 ventral scales and the anal scale is single. These are so rough and heavily keeled that they sometimes inflict cuts on handlers when the snake struggles. Midbody there are 31-43 dorsal scale rows. The fangs are not large: rarely more than 1.5 cm in length. They have a distinctive set of 2-3 horn-like scales on the end of their nose, the front pair of which may be quite long. The head is narrow, flat, triangular and relatively small compared to the rest of the body.
(2004) mention a maximum length of 120 cm, but admit that this is exceptional, quoting an average length of 60-90 cm. Large and stout, ranging in length from 72 cm to 107 cm. A big viper known for its striking color pattern and prominent nasal horns. Photographer: User:Dawson Ĭommon names: rhinoceros viper, river jack.īitis nasicornis is a venomous viper species found in the forests of West and Central Africa. Rhinoceros Viper ( Bitis nasicornis) - Wiki
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