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Bitis caudalis (SMITH, 1839)

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Higher TaxaViperidae, Viperinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Horned Adder
G: Gehörnte Puffotter 
SynonymVipera (Cerastes) caudalis SMITH 1839: 7
Vipera ocellata SMITH 1838: 92
Vipera (Cerastes) caudalis — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 1446
Vipera caudalis — BOETTGER 1886: 6
Bitis caudalis — FITZSIMONS & BRAIN 1958
Bitis caudalis — HARDING & WELCH 1980
Bitis caudalis — AUERBACH 1987: 205
Bitis caudalis — WELCH 1994: 27
Bitis (Calechidna) caudalis — LENK et al. 1999
Bitis caudalis — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 361
Bitis caudalis — DOBIEY & VOGEL 2007
Bitis (Calechidna) caudalis — WITTENBERG et al. 2014
Bitis caudalis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 92
Bitis (Calechidna) caudalis — BARLOW et al. 2019 
DistributionNamibia, SW Angola, Republic of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, S Zambia

Type locality: sandy districts north of the Cape Colony.  
Reproductionovovivparous 
TypesSyntypes: BMNH 1865.5.4.15a-e; note in BMNH catalogue states that 1865.5.4.15e agrees well with original description. 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (1773 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentVenomous!

Behavior: A small adder that puts up a bold fierce front when disturbed by writhing and hissing loudly. 
References
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  • Barlow A, Wüster W, Kelly CMR, Branch WR, Phelps T, Tolley KA. 2019. Ancient habitat shifts and organismal diversification are decoupled in the African viper genus Bitis (Serpentes: Viperidae). J Biogeogr. 46: 1234– 1248 - get paper here
  • Barts, M. 2004. Dickfingergeckos - Pachydactylus turneri & Pachydactylus bibronii. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, 61 pp. - get paper here
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  • Bauer, Aaron M.; Branch, William R. & Haacke, Wulf D. 1993. The herpetofauna of the Kamanjab area and adjacent Damaraland, Namibia. Madoqua (Windhoek) 18 (2): 117-145. - get paper here
  • Boettger, O. 1886. Beitrag zur Herpetologie und Malakozoologie Südwest-Afrikas. 1. Zur Kenntniss der Fauna von Angra Pequenia. Abh. senckenb. naturf. Ges. (Frankfurt) 1886: 3-29 - get paper here
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  • Broadley, D.G. 1972. The Horned Viper Bitis caudalis (A. Smith) in the Central Kalahari. Botswana Notes & Records 4: 263–264
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