Subphylum Vertebrata Suborder Serpentes Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Family Viperidae Higher classification Bitis | |
 | ||
Similar Bitis inornata, Bitis xeropaga, Bitis worthingtoni, Bitis, Snake | ||
Bitis heraldica is a venomous viper species found only in Angola, easily distinguished from B. caudalis by its heavily speckled belly and lack of any supraocular "horns". No subspecies are currently recognized.
Contents
Description
The maximum recorded total length (body + tail) is 405 mm (15.9 in).
Geographic range
It is found on the high plateau of central Angola.
The type locality given is "sur les bords de la rivière Calae, l'un des affluents de Cunene, entre le 13o et 14o parallèle á l'est de Caconda." [Calai River (tributary of the Kunene), Cacanda, Angola.
Habitat
It commonly inhabits rocky mountain slopes.
Behavior
Nothing is known of its behavior, as less than 20 specimens have ever been collected.
Venom
Nothing is known of the venom composition, and no bites have ever been recorded.
References
Bitis heraldica Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA