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Causus maculatus (HALLOWELL, 1842)

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Higher TaxaViperidae, Viperinae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Spotted Night Adder, West-African Night Adder 
SynonymDistichurus maculatus HALLOWELL 1842: 337
Causus rhombeatus — PAPENFUSS 1969
Causus maculatus — MCDIARMID, CAMPBELL & TOURÉ 1999: 232
Causus maculatus — RÖDEL & MAHSBERG 2000
Causus maculatus — LARGEN & SPAWLS 2010: 607
Causus maculatus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 151
Causus maculatus — SPAWLS et al. 2018: 572
Causus maculatus — SENTER & CHIPPAUX 2022 
DistributionMauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, W Ethiopia, Uganda, S Sudan (Jumhūriyyat), Republic of South Sudan (RSS), Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire; except in the east), Congo (Brazzaville), Ghana, Togo, Benin, Guinea (Conakry), Nigeria, Gabon, Angola, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea

Type locality: Liberia  
Reproductionoviparous. This is one of the few vipers that is egg-laying. 
TypesHolotype: ANSP 6897, according to Malnate, 1971 
Diagnosis 
CommentVenomous! Second most common cause for snake-bite mortality in Senegal (Trape et al. 2001)

Diet: Causus maculatus feeds exclusively on amphibians, at least in 486 specimens examined in Senegal, fide Mané & Trape 2019.

Distribution: For a map with localities in Equatorial Guinea see SÁNCHEZ-VIALAS et al. 2022. 
References
  • Barnett, Linda K. & Emms, Craig 2005. Common reptiles of The Gambia. Rare Repro, Hailsham, East Sussex, 24 pp.
  • Böhme, Wolfgang, Mark-Oliver Rödel, Christian Brede & Philipp Wagner 2011. The reptiles (Testudines, Squamata, Crocodylia) of the forested southeast of the Republic Guinea (Guinée forestière), with a country-wide checklist. Bonn zoological Bulletin 60 (1): 35-61 - get paper here
  • Cayuela, Hugo; Godfrey C Akani, Emmanuel M Hema, Edem A Eniang, Nioking Amadi, Stephanie N Ajong, Daniele Dendi, Fabio Petrozzi, Luca Luiselli 2019. Life history and age-dependent mortality processes in tropical reptiles. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 128, Issue 2, October 2019, Pages 251–262, - get paper here
  • Chifundera, K. 1990. Snakes of Zaire and their bites. Afr. Stud. Monogr. (Kyoto) 10(3): 137-157.
  • Chippaux, Jean-Philippe & Kate Jackson 2019. Snakes of Central and Western Africa. Johns Hopkins University Press, 448 pp. [detaileld review in HR 51 (1): 161] - get paper here
  • Chirio, L. 2009. Inventaire des reptiles de la région de la Réserve de Biosphère Transfrontalière du W (Niger/Bénin/Burkina Faso: Afrique de l’Ouest). [Herpetological survey of the W Transfrontier Biosphere Reserve area (Niger/Benin/Burkina Faso: West Africa]. Bull. Soc. Herp. France (132): 13-41 - get paper here
  • Chirio, L. & Lebreton, M. 2007. Atlas des reptiles du Cameroun. MNHN, IRD, Paris 688 pp.
  • Dobiey, M. & Vogel, G. 2007. Venomous Snakes of Africa - Giftschlangen Afrikas. Edition Chimaira, Terralog 15, 150 pp. - get paper here
  • Gonwouo, Nono LeGrand; Tchassem Fonkwa Arnaud Marius, Doherty-Bone Thomas, Rödel Mark-Oliver 2021. Amphibian and reptiles of a proposed iron ore mining concession in southern Cameroon. Herpetology Notes 14: 1051-1065
  • Hallowell, E. 1842. Description of a new genus of Serpents from Western Africa. J. Acad. nat. Sci. Philadelph. 8: 336-338 - get paper here
  • Hughes, B. 1977. Latitudinal clines and ecogeography of the West African Night Adder, Causus maculatus (Hallowell, 1842), Serpentes, Viperidae. Bull. IFAN. 39 (sér. A., no. 2): 358-384
  • Hughes, B. 1983. African snake faunas. Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 34: 311-356 - get paper here
  • Hughes, B. 2013. Snakes of Bénin, West Africa. Bull. Soc. Herp. France 144: 101-159
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  • Joger, U. 1982. Zur Herpetofaunistik Kameruns (II). Bonner Zoologische Beiträge 33 (2-4): 313-319 - get paper here
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  • Largen,M.J. & Rasmussen,J.B. 1993. Catalogue of the snakes of Ethiopia (Reptilia Serpentes), including identification keys. Tropical Zoology 6: 313-434 - get paper here
  • Leaché, Adam D.; Mark-Oliver Rödel, Charles W. Linkem, Raul E. Diaz, Annika Hillers, and Matthew K. Fujita 2006. Biodiversity in a forest island: reptiles and amphibians of the Togo Hills, Kyabobo National Park, Ghana. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 4 (1): 22-45 - get paper here
  • Lillywhite, Harvey B. 2014. How Snakes Work: Structure, Function and Behavior of the World's Snakes. Oxford University Press, New York, 256 pp
  • Luiselli, L., G. C. Akani, F. M. Angelici, E. Politano, L. Ude and S. M. Wariboko 2004. Aspects of the ecology of a population of Causus maculatus (Reptilia: Viperidae) from southern Nigeria. Amphibia-Reptilia 25 (1): 99-104 - get paper here
  • Mallow, D. Ludwig, D. & Nilson, G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Krieger, Malabar, Florida, 410 pp. [review in HR 35: 200, Reptilia 35: 74]
  • Malnate, Edmond V. 1971. A catalogue of primary types in the Herpetological Collections of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (ANSP). Proccedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 123 (9): 345-375 - get paper here
  • MANÉ, Youssouph & Jean-François TRAPE 2019. Le régime alimentaire des vipères du Sénégal. Bull. Soc. Herp. France (2019) 170 : 49-83
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  • McDiarmid, R.W.; Campbell, J.A. & Touré,T.A. 1999. Snake species of the world. Vol. 1. [type catalogue] Herpetologists’ League, 511 pp.
  • Musah, Yahaya; Benjamin Y. Ofori and Daniel K. Attuquayefio 2019. Herpetofauna community diversity and composition of a changing coastal wetland in Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology 27 (1): 52 - 65
  • Nneji, Lotanna Micah; Adeniyi Charles Adeola, , Agboola Okeyoyin, Ojo Cornelius Oladipo, Yohanna Saidu, Dinatu Samuel, John Yinamga Usongo, Babatunde Emmanuel Adedeji, Olatunde Omotoso, Akindele OluwatosinAdeyi, ObihAlexUgwumba,andAdiahaAldaAlexUgwum 2019. Diversity and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria. Herpetology Notes 12: 543-559 - get paper here
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  • Pauwels OSG, Morelle S, Albert J-L, Carlino P, Rahola N, Trape J-F. 2019. New reptile records from Lékédi Park and Haut-Ogooué Province, southeastern Gabon. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 13 (1) [General Section]: 143–161 (e174) - get paper here
  • Pauwels, O. S., & Colyn, M. 2023. On a Collection of Snakes from Bengamisa, Right Bank of the Congo River, Northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society, 58(6), 81-92
  • Pauwels, O.S.G. & Vande Weghe, J.P. 2008. Les reptiles du Gabon. Smithsonian Institution, Washington: 272 pp. - get paper here
  • PAUWELS, OLIVIER; LAURENT CHIRIO & WOUTER DEKONINCK. 2022. Diet records for snakes from Guinea, West Africa. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 57(6): 117–123. - get paper here
  • Phelps, T. 2010. Old World Vipers. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt, 558 pp. [critical review in Sauria 33 (3): 19 and HR 43: 503]
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  • Rödel,M.O.; Kouadio,K, & Mahsberg,D. 1999. Die Schlangenfauna des Comoé-Nationalparks, Elfenbeinküste: Ergänzungen und Ausblick. Salamandra 35 (3): 165-180 - get paper here
  • SÁNCHEZ-VIALAS, A., CALVO-REVUELTA, M. & DE LA RIVA, I. 2022. Synopsis of the terrestrial Reptiles of Equatorial Guinea. Zootaxa 5202 (1): 1-197 - get paper here
  • Segniagbeto GLazcano. H., Trape J. F., David P., Ohler A., Dubois A. & Glitho I. A. 2011. The snake fauna of Togo: systematics, distribution and biogeography, with remarks on selected taxonomic problems. Zoosystema 33 (3): 325-360. DOI: 10.5252/z2011n3a4 - get paper here
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  • Spawls, S.; Howell, K.; Drewes, R.C. & Ashe, J. 2002. A field guide to the reptiles of East Africa. Academic Press, 543 pp. [reviews in HR 34: 396 and Afr. J. Herp. 51; 147] - get paper here
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  • Trape, J.-F. & Mané, Y. 2004. Les serpents des environs de Bandafassi (Sénégal oriental). Bull. Soc. Herp. France 109: 5-34 - get paper here
  • Trape, J.-F. & Mané, Y. 2006. Guide des serpents d’Afrique occidentale. Savane et désert. [Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger]. IRD Editions, Paris, 226 pp. - get paper here
  • Trape, J.-F. et al. 2001. High mortality from snakebite in south-eastern Senegal. Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. Hyg. 95: 420-423 - get paper here
  • Trape, J.F. & R. ROUX-ESTÈVE 1995. Les serpents du Congo: liste commentée et clé de détermination. Journal of African Zoology 109 (1): 31-50
  • TRAPE, JEAN-FRANÇOIS & CELLOU BALDÉ 2014. A checklist of the snake fauna of Guinea, with taxonomic changes in the genera Philothamnus and Dipsadoboa (Colubridae) and a comparison with the snake fauna of some other West African countries. Zootaxa 3900 (3): 301–338 - get paper here
  • Trape, Jean-François; Israël Demba Kodindo, Ali Sougoudi Djiddi, Joseph Mad-Toïngué & Clément Hinzoumbé Kerah 2020. The snakes of Chad: results of a field survey and annotated country-wide checklist. Bonn zoological Bulletin 69 (2): 367–393 - get paper here
  • Trape, Jean-François; Mané, Youssouph 2000. Les serpents des environs de Dielmo (Sine-Saloum, Sénégal). Bull. Soc. Herp. France 95: 19-35 - get paper here
  • Trape, Jean-François & Youssouph Mané 2017. The snakes of Mali. Bonn zoological Bulletin 66 (2): 107–133 - get paper here
  • Ullenbruch, K.; Grell, O.; Böhme, W. 2010. Reptiles from southern Benin, West Africa, with the description of a new Hemidactylus (Gekkonidae), and a country-wide checklist. Bonn Zool. Bull. 57 (1): 31-54 - get paper here
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  • Zassi-Boulou, Ange Ghislain; Joseph Goma Tchimbakala, Lise Bethy Mavoungou, and Kate Jackson 2020. A Survey of Snakes in the Patte d’Oie Forest Reserve (Brazzaville, Republic of Congo): an Urban Snake Community in Central Africa. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 15 (1): - get paper here
 
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