Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Causus bilineatus

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Subphylum
  
Vertebrata

Order
  
Squamata

Scientific name
  
Causus bilineatus

Phylum
  
Chordata

Class
  
Reptilia

Suborder
  
Serpentes

Rank
  
Species

Similar
  
Causinae, Causus defilippii, Causus resimus, Causus maculatus, Echis hughesi

Causus bilineatus is a venomous viper species endemic to south central Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized. Common names include lined night adder and two-striped night adder.

Contents

Description

The average total length (body + tail) is 30-50 cm (about 12-20 inches) with a reported maximum of 65 cm (26 in).

The head is slightly distinct from the neck, while the snout is fairly long and tapering. Midbody there are 15-18 rows of dorsal scales that are weakly keeled and have a soft and velvety appearance. The ventral scales number 122-141 in males and 128-144 in females. There are 18-30 subcaudals.

The color pattern consists of an ash to auburn to brown ground color, overlaid with numerous irregular or vaguely rectangular black dorsal patches. These patches lie within two distinct and narrow pale stripes that run the length of the body. The belly color is dark to dark cream.

Geographic range

Angola, northern Zambia, DR Congo (Shaba Province) and Rwanda.

The type locality is given by Boulenger (1905) as "between Benguella and Bihé" (Angola). Bocage (1895) listed "Duque de Bragança, Quissange, Caconda, and Huilla" (Angola) for the localities.

Habitat

Occurs in moist savanna, forest-savanna environments, and swampy habitats. Wild-caught specimens found to have eaten clawed frogs, Xenopus, suggest a more aquatic nature than other species.

Feeding

Preys mostly upon toads and frogs, particularly the clawed frog, Xenopus.

References

Causus bilineatus Wikipedia