Causinae

Common toads Viper ( Causus rhombeatus )

The toads vipers ( Causus ), also known as Toad or night otters, are a genus in the subfamily of the Real vipers ( Viperinae ). The six species are restricted in distribution to Africa, they may be in addition to the Asian Fea 's viper ( Azemiops feae ) the most primitive living representatives of all vipers.

System

Recent molecular genetic studies they organize as a sister genus of Echis (sand race wobble ) and cerastes (African Horn vipers ) clade formed deep within the Real vipers ( Viperinae ). In previous work, they were against it - as well as the Asian Fea 's viper ( Azemiops feae ) - very original vipers in a separate subfamily directly into the family of vipers ( Viperidae ) is set. This subfamily was designated Causinae.

Features and types

All species are nocturnal and feed on frogs and toads. The size is usually 60 cm, rarely up to 100 cm. A total of six types are placed in the genus:

• The two strips Toad Viper ( Causus bilineatus ) comes from Angola to Rwanda before.
• The snouts Toad or Viper Defilippis night Otter ( Causus defilippii ) is distributed from Kenya to South Africa.
• The Green Night Otter ( Causus resimus ) inhabits eastern Africa from Somalia to Mozambique.
• The Lichtenstein's Night Otter ( Causus lichtensteini ) and
• The West African toads Viper ( Causus maculatus ) are rainforest species from West and Central Africa.
• The common toads Viper ( Causus rhombeatus ) inhabited Southern Africa.

Toxic effect

In case of faults Night adders bite usually around wildly. Their very large poison glands that reach far into the neck region, producing large amounts of poison. This poison is not very effective in humans, bites usually have only local swelling and pain at the bite site result in human deaths are extremely rare.