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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. 
Diagnosis 
CommentVenomous! A small adder that puts up a bold fierce front when disturbed by writhing and hissing loudly. 
References
  • Auerbach, R.D. 1987. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Botswana. Mokwepa Consultants, Botswana, 295 pp.
  • 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
  • Barts, Mirko 2018. Ein kleiner Reiseführer zu den Reptilien und Amphibien Namibias. Draco 16 (64): 6-23 [2015] - get paper here
  • Bates, M.F.; Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M.; Burger, M., Marais, J.; Alexander, G.J. & de Villliers, M.S. (eds.) 2014. Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria, 512 pp.
  • Bauer, A.M., and Branch, W.R. 2003. The herpetofauna of the Richtersveld National Park, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa. Herpetological Natural History 8: 111-160 [2001]
  • 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
  • Branch, William R. 1993. A Photographic Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 144 S.
  • Branch, William R. 1994. Herpetofauna of the Sperrgebeit [sic] Region of Southern Namibia. Herpetological Natural History 2 (1): 1-11.
  • Broadley, D. & Blaylock 2013. The Snakes of Zimbabwe and Botswana. Chimaira, Frankfurt, 387 pp. [book review in Sauria 35 (2): 59 and Copeia 2014: 388] - get paper here
  • Broadley, D.G. 1959. The herpetology of Southern Rhodesia. Part I--the snakes. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 120 (1): 1-100 [reprint 1972] - get paper here
  • Broadley, D.G. 1972. The Horned Viper Bitis caudalis (A. Smith) in the Central Kalahari. Botswana Notes & Records 4: 263–264
  • Calvete, J.J.; Escolano, J.; Sanz, L. 2007. Snake venomics of bitis species reveals large intragenus venom toxin composition variation: application to taxonomy of congeneric taxa. Journal of Proteome Research 6(7):2732-2745 - get paper here
  • 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
  • CONRADIE, W., ENGELBRECHT, H., HERREL, A., MEASEY, G.J., NIELSEN, S.V., V ANHOOYDONCK, B., & TOLLEY, K.A. 2011. Reptile survey of Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province - South Africa. African Herp News (55): 6-12 - get paper here
  • DeNardo, D.F., J.V. Luna & M. Hwang 2002. Ambient Temperature Activity of Horned Adders, Bitis caudalis: How Cold is Too Cold? Journal of Herpetology 36 (4): 688-691. - get paper here
  • Dobiey, M. & Vogel, G. 2007. Venomous Snakes of Africa - Giftschlangen Afrikas. Edition Chimaira, Terralog 15, 150 pp. - get paper here
  • Douglas, R. M. 1981. Notes on the Reproduction on the Common Horned Adder, Bitis caudalis in the Central Namib Desert. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (25): 5-6 - get paper here
  • Duméril, A. M. C., Bibron, G. & DUMÉRIL, A. H. A., 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie, comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris, Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret: i-xii + 781-1536 - get paper here
  • Fitzsimons, V.F.M.; Brain, C.K. 1958. A Short account of the Reptiles of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. Koedoe, 1(1): 99-104 - get paper here
  • Gower, D.; Garrett, K. & Stafford, P. 2012. Snakes. Firefly Books, Buffalo, NY,<br />144 p..
  • Haacke, W.D. 1975. Description of a new adder (Viperidae, Reptilia) from Southern Africa, with a discussion of related forms. Cimbebasia (A) 4: 115-128
  • Haacke, W.D. 1995. Life History Notes - Bitis caudalis. African Herp News (23): 45-45 - get paper here
  • Haagner, G. V. 1987. Life History Note: Bitis caudalis: Reproduction. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (33): 38-38 - get paper here
  • Hauke, Tobias 2018. Namibia – Eindrücke während der Regenzeit. Draco 16 (64): 50-59 [2015] - get paper here
  • Herrmann, H. W.; Joger, U.; Lenk, P. & Wink, M. 1999. Morphological and molecular phylogenies of viperines: conflicting evidence? Kaupia (Darmstadt) (8): 21-30 - get paper here
  • Herrmann, H.-W.; W.R. Branch 2013. Fifty years of herpetological research in the Namib Desert and Namibia with an updated and annotated species checklist. Journal of Arid Environments 93: 94–115 - get paper here
  • Hoffmann, L. 1988. Note On The Ecology Of The Horned Adder, Bitis caudalis From Gobabeb, Namib - Naukluft Park. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (35): 33-34 - get paper here
  • Hörold, Ralf 2020. Haltung und Nachzucht von Lepidodactylus lugubris (DUMERIL & BIBRON, 1836) als Aufzuchtfutter für Echsen fressende Schlangen. Ophidia 14 (1): 2-14
  • Jacobsen, N.H.G. 1986. Life History Note: Bitis caudalis: Reproduction. J. Herp. Assoc. Africa (32): 38-38 - get paper here
  • Lenk,P.; Herrmann,H. W.; Joger,U. & Wink,M. 1999. Phylogeny and taxonomic subdivision of Bitis (Reptilia: Viperidae) based on molecular evidence. Kaupia (Darmstadt) (8): 31-38 - get paper here
  • Lobón-Rovira J, Vaz Pinto P, S. Becker F, Tolley KA, Measey J, Bennet B, Boon B, de Sá S, Conradie W 2022. An updated herpetofaunal species inventory of Iona National Park in southwestern Angola. Check List 18(2): 289-321 - get paper here
  • Loveridge, A. 1936. African reptiles and amphibians in the Field Museum of Natural History. Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Chicago, 22 (1): 1-122 - 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]
  • Marques, Mariana P.; Luis M. P. Ceríaco , David C. Blackburn , and Aaron M. Bauer 2018. Diversity and Distribution of the Amphibians and Terrestrial Reptiles of Angola -- Atlas of Historical and Bibliographic Records (1840–2017). Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (Ser. 4) 65: 1-501 (Supplement II)
  • Martínez del Mármol, G. 2020. The phenotypic variability of the Genus Bitis Gray 1842, with remarks in its resemblance to other vipers. In: Martínez, G., León, R., Jiménez-Robles, O., González De la Vega, J. P., Gabari, V., Rebollo, B., Sánchez-Tójar, A., Fernández-Cardenete, J. R., Gállego, J. (Eds.). Amphibians and Reptiles of Morocco and Western Sahara - get paper here
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  • Smith, A. 1838. Contributions to the Natural History of Southern Africa. Art. VIII. Mag. Nat. Hist., London, 2 (14): 92-94
  • Smith, A. 1839. Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa, Reptilia. Smith, Elder, and Co., London - get paper here
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  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Weima, André 2006. Picture: Bitis caudalis. Litteratura Serpentium 26 (1): 63 - get paper here
  • Wittenberg, Rod D. & Robert C. Jadin & Allyson M. Fenwick & Ronald L. Gutberlet Jr. 2014. Recovering the evolutionary history of Africa’s most diverse viper genus: morphological and molecular phylogeny of Bitis (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae). Org Divers Evol, DOI 10.1007/s13127-014-0185-3
 
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