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Atractaspis irregularis (REINHARDT, 1843)

IUCN Red List - Atractaspis irregularis - Least Concern, LC

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Higher TaxaAtractaspididae (Atractaspidinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesAtractaspis irregularis angeli LAURENT 1950
Atractaspis irregularis bipostocularis BOULENGER 1905
Atractaspis irregularis irregularis (REINHARDT 1843)
Atractaspis irregularis parkeri LAURENT 1945
Atractaspis irregularis uelensis LAURENT 1945 
Common NamesE: Variable Burrowing Asp, Mole Viper 
SynonymElaps irregularis REINHARDT 1843
Atractaspis irregularis — PFEFFER 1893: 87f
Atractaspis irregularis — BOULENGER 1897: 280
Atractaspis bipostocularis BOULENGER 1905
Atractaspis conradsi STERNFELD 1908: 94
Atractaspis caudalis STERNFELD 1908: 94
Atractaspis babaulti ANGEL 1934: 169
Atractaspis conradsi — SCHMIDT 1943
Atractaspis schoutedeni WITTE
Atractaspis irregularis loveridgei LAURENT 1945:
Atractaspis irregularis conradsi — LAURENT 1945
Atractaspis irregularis loveridgei — LAURENT 1950: 21
Atractaspis irregularis conradsi — LAURENT 1950: 23
Atractaspis coalescens PERRET 1960 (fide CHIPPAUX 1999: 77)
Atractaspis irregularis irregularis — PERRET 1961
Atractaspis coalescens — WELCH 1994: 21
Atractaspis irregularis — CHIRIO & INEICH 2006
Atractaspis irregularis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 66
Atractaspis irregularis — SPAWLS et al. 2018: 476
Atractaspis coalescens — CHIPPAUX & JACKSON 2019: 145
Atractaspis irregularis — CHIPPAUX & JACKSON 2019: 148
Atractaspis irregularis — SENTER & CHIPPAUX 2022
Atractaspis coalescens — TRAPE 2023: 348

Atractaspis irregularis angeli LAURENT 1950: 25
Atractaspis irregularis — WELCH 1994: 23
Atractaspis irregularis angeli — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007

Atractaspis irregularis bipostocularis BOULENGER 1905
Atractaspis bipostocularis BOULENGER 1905
Atractaspis irregularis bipostocularis — BROADLEY & HOWELL 1991: 23
Atractaspis irregularis bipostocularis — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007

Atractaspis irregularis parkeri LAURENT 1945: 316
Atractaspis irregularis parkeri — LAURENT 1950: 17
Atractaspis irregularis parkeri — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007

Atractaspis irregularis uelensis LAURENT 1945
Atractaspis irregularis — SCHMIDT 1923: 136 (fide LAURENT 1950)
Atractaspis irregularis uelensis — LAURENT 1950: 19
Atractaspis irregularis uelensis — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007 
DistributionGuinea (Conakry), Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Congo (Brazzaville), N Angola, Ethiopia (Mount Bizen), Eritrea, Kenya, NE Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Republic of South Sudan (RSS), Central African Republic, Cameroon, Gambia

angeli: Eritrea (Mount Bizen)

bipostocularis: Kenya, NE Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, NE Zaire; Type locality: Fort Hall, Kenya.

coalescens: Cameroon; Type locality: “Bangwa, Cameroun”

conradsi: Type locality: Ukerewe Island, Tanganyika Territory.

irregularis: Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, N Angola; Type locality: “Gabon”

parkeri: Congo

uelensis: NE Zaire, NW Uganda, S Sudan (Jumhūriyyat), Republic of South Sudan (RSS)

Type locality: Accra, Guineaküste [caudalis]  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: ZMUC 6885
Holotype: MSNG, cat. no. unknown [angeli]
Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.23.79, juvenile [bipostocularis]
Holotype: ZMB: 6527 [caudalis]
Holotype: MHNG 975.65 (F) [coalescens]
Holotype: RMCA (= MRAC) (Musée du Congo), paratypes: MNHN [parkeri]
Holotype: IRSNB (Musée Royal d’Histoire Naturelle); paratypes: Musée du Congo Belge [uelensis]
Holotype: RMCA (= MRAC) (Musée du Congo) [loveridgei] 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (7901 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentVenomous!

Synonymy: partly after Laurent 1945, VOGEL & DOBIEY 2007.

Distribution: Not recorded from Gabon fide PAUWELS & VANDE WEGHE 2008 but its presence is highly likely based on records in neighboring countries. Not in Benin fide ULLENBRUCH et al. 2010. Not in Equatorial Guinea fide SÁNCHEZ-VIALAS et al. 2022.

Type locality: The original Danish text in Reinhardt 1843 says “Guinea” while the translation by Rasmussen & Hughes 1997 translates that to “Ghana”.

battersbyi: Probably occurs in the Congo. 
EtymologyNamed after James Clarence Battersby 1901-1993 [obituary in Herp. Rev. 25: 44 (1994)]. 
References
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  • Bourgeois,M. 1963. Note sur Atractaspis irregularis conradsi STERNFELD (Viperidae). structure du crâne et l’appareil de la morusre. Ann. Soc. Zool. Belg. 93: 159-169
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