Bitis
Puff Adder ( Bitis arietans )
The puff adders ( Bitis ) are a genus exclusively in Africa and southern Arabia common venomous snakes of the family of vipers ( Viperidae ), with currently 16 known species.
The type species is widespread in Africa puff adder ( Bitis arietans ). The name derives from the typical threatening gestures and noises that produce the animals at a threat. Here, the snakes inflate and release the air in loud hiss and pop noises (English " puffs ").
Features
The puff adders counts with the Gaboon Viper ( Bitis gabonica ) with a body length of up to about two meters one of the best known and largest vipers world, at the same time the genus contains the smallest vipers, such as the Peringuey's Adder ( Bitis peringueyi ) with only about 30 centimeters or Schneiders Peringuey's Adder ( Bitis schneideri ), with a maximum of 19 to 28 centimeters in body length. Most species are built relatively clumsy.
Characteristic of all kinds is a broad, triangular head with a rounded snout, which is clearly separated from the head and covered with small, distinctly keeled scales. The angle between the top of the head and the sides of the head as well as the rostral, called the canthus is very sharply defined. In many species, enlarged Überaugendschilde ( Supraoculare ) or nose shields are present ( rostral ), form the horns. For example, the rhinoceros viper have (B. nasicornis ) and the Gaboon Viper (B. gabonica ) a clear nose horn and the Horned puff adder (B. caudalis ) and the tufts Brow puff adder (B. cornuta ) pronounced horns above the eyes.
The eyes are relatively small and are in most species at the sides of the body, the nostrils are large and often show up. The rostral and nasals are separated by 0-6 scales. The maxillary bones are short and only own a pair of curved fangs.
The body is keeled with strong and serrated scales covered the sides of the body, the scales often slightly curved .. are in the middle of the body the scales number among species in the range of 21 to 46 The ventral scales ( Ventral ) varies are large and rounded, it is each other according to Article Considered In some species they are around 112-146 slightly keeled, but mostly smooth. The anal is undivided, they close at 16 to 37 paired lower tail scales ( Subcaudale ), which may also be keeled.
Distribution and habitat
The puff adders inhabit a large part of the African continent and part of the Arabian Peninsula. Almost all of them are populated habitats. There is for example the Peringuey's Adder (B. peringueyi ) as pronounced Wüstenart exclusively in the Namib Desert during the Gabon viper (B. gabonica ) lives in the forest areas of West Africa. The most common wall the puff adder (B. arietans ), which can be found on the entire African continent and the only kind in the Arabian Peninsula with the exception of extreme habitats, in contrast, other ways of life such as the Ethiopian puff adder (B. parviocula ) as endemics in very limited areas.
Way of life
Puff Adders are all snakes live in the soil, only a few species can also climb. Especially the large species of the genus move slowly creeping away, smaller species meander or move page writhing also.
They can Although most species seem slow and sluggish snap shut very quickly when approaching them a potential prey. They feed entirely dependent on their own body size of small mammals and lizards. Is common to the species, the eponymous threatening behavior. Here, the snakes inflate and release the air in loud hiss and pop noises (English " puffs " ), this can last, especially in the major species over very long periods.
All puff adders are viviparous ( viviparous ) and can partially bring very large numbers of young snakes to the world.
Where overlap their distribution areas, already hybrids of Bitis arietans and Bitis Bitis gabonica and gabonica and Bitis nasicornis could be detected.
System
The puff adders currently 14 species are counted:
- Puff adder (B. arietans )
- Mountain - puff adder (B. atropos )
- Horned puff adder (B. caudalis )
- Tufts Brow puff adder (B. cornuta )
- Gabon viper (B. gabonica )
- Angola - puff adder (B. heraldica )
- Highland puff adder (B. inornata )
- Rhinoceros viper (B. nasicornis )
- Ethiopian puff adder (B. parviocula )
- Peringuey's Adder (B. peringueyi )
- B. rubida
- Schneiders Peringuey's Adder (B. schneideri )
- Kenya - puff adder (B. worthing toni )
- Desert puff adder (B. xeropaga )
Mallows et al. 2003 also describe two species belonging to the complex around the tufts Brow puff adder and the Highland Puff Adder: B. albanica and B. armata. The former is by ITIS as a subspecies B. c. albanica Tufts Brow Puffotter classified. In addition, with Bitis olduvaiensis an extinct Puffotterart known.
Snake venom
All kinds of puff adders are poisonous and have very different species-specific effective poisons and toxic amounts. Like most snake venoms also provides the venom of the puff adders is a mixture of different proteins that act differently according to the body of the prey or bitten. Most portions of the Puffotterngiftes act while hemolytic.