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Bitis cornuta (Many horned adder or Western hornsman adder)
Veelhoringadder, Horingsman [Afrikaans]; Unompondwana [Xhosa].
Life >
Eukaryotes
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Opisthokonta >
Metazoa
(animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia >
Chordata >
Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) >
Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) >
Tetrapoda
(four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Reptilia (reptiles) >
Romeriida > Diapsida > Lepidosauromorpha > Lepidosauria >
Squamata > Serpentes
(snakes) > Family: Viperidae > Genus:
Bitis
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Bitis cornuta (Many horned adder or Western hornsman
adder, Northern Cape [A.J. Van Wyk
© from
SARCA Virtual Museum] |
Bitis cornuta (Many horned adder or Western hornsman adder), Northern Cape [W Price
© from
SARCA
Virtual Museum] |
Identification
Easily identified by its grey or reddish brown body and by
the tuft
of horns above each eye. It grows to an average length of 40 cm but may reach 54
cm.
Distribution and habitat
The Many horned adder is found in the following areas;
along the Northern Cape coast, south-eastern Namibia and their is a small
population east of Cape Town. Its favoured habitats includes mountains, rocky
outcrops, desert gravel plains and mountain savanna.
Food
Feeds on lizards, small
rodents (e.g.
rats
and mice), birds
and
amphibians (e.g.
frogs
and toads).
Predators, parasites and disease
Fed on by other snakes. It is also
threatened by humans who illegally remove it from its habitat and is often
killed while crossing roads.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young); five to 14 young
are born in late summer to early autumn.
Longevity
Has an average life span of 10 or more years.
Medical importance
Has potentially dangerous cytotoxic
venom which causes painful necrosis. Antivenom is not required.
Links
References
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Broadley, D.G. 1983. FitzSimons' Snakes of Southern
Africa. Delta Books, Johannesburg.
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Marais, J. 2004. A Complete Guide to Snakes of Southern Africa.
Struik Publishing, Cape Town.
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