Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update: December 31st, 2022.
 
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Genus
Atheris
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African Bush Vipers, Tree Vipers
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Buschvipern, Baumvipern
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Afrikanske Træhugorme
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1849 |  |
Chloroechis Bonaparte [rejected and invalid generic name; ICZN (1991) |
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1862 | |
Atheris Cope (type species: Atheris chlorechis Pel 1851) |
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1863 | |
Poecilostolus Günther (type species: Poecilostolus burtonii Günther 1863) |
Contents:
17 species, of which 8 (47.1%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
Previously included
Adenorhinos barbouri,
Montatheris hindii, and
Proatheris superciliaris.
The grammatical gender of Atheris is feminine (Broadley 1989, 1996; Dobiey & Vogel 2007), although often seen treated as masculine in older literature (e.g., Spawls & Branch 1995).
Distribution:
Equatorial Africa.
Reported from:
Angola
(incl.
Cabinda),
Burundi,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko,
Rio Muni),
Gabon,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Kenya,
Liberia,
Malawi,
Mozambique,
Nigeria,
Rwanda,
Sierra Leone,
Tanzania,
Togo,
Uganda,
Zambia.
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Atheris acuminata
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Acuminate Bush Viper
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Stachelige Buschviper
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Uganda-træhugorm
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1998 | |
Atheris acuminata Broadley |
Remarks:
David & Vogel (2010) expressed doubt regarding the validity of this species.
Distribution:
Uganda.
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Atheris anisolepis
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Mayombe Bush Viper, (Mocquard's Bush Viper)
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Mayombe-Buschviper
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Mayombe-træhugorm
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1887 | |
Atheris anisolepis Mocquard |
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Atheris squamigera anisolepis Bogert 1940 |
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1887 | |
Atheris laeviceps Boettger (syn. Broadley 1998) |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a subspecies of squamigera (e.g., Bogert 1040).
Revalidated by Broadley (1998), but retained as a synonym of squamigera by Lawson & Ustach (2000).
Regarded herein as a separate species, following several recent publications (e.g., Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014; Collet & Trape 2020).
Presence in Angola needs confirmation.
Although listed for the country by some authors (e.g., David & Ineich 1999; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999), it was not included by Marques, Ceríaco, Blackburn & Bauer (2018).
Distribution:
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Gabon.
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Atheris broadleyi
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Lipondji Bush Viper, (Broadley's Bush Viper)
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Lipondji-Buschviper, (Broadleys Buschviper)
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Lipondji-træhugorm
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1999 | |
Atheris broadleyi Lawson |
Remarks:
Chippaux & Jackson (2019) included Nigeria in the distribution, but no localities in the country were shown in their map.
No other references have been found to support the presence of the species in Nigeria.
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville.
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Atheris ceratophora
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Usambara Mountain Bush Viper, Usambara Bush Viper, Usambara Mountain Forest Viper, Horned Bush Viper
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Usambara-Buschviper
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Usambara-træhugorm
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1895 | |
Atheris ceratophorus Werner |
Distribution:
Tanzania.
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Atheris chlorechis
|
West African Green Bush Viper, Western Bush Viper, Green Tree Viper
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Westafrikanische Buschviper, Grüne Buschviper
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Vestafrikansk Grøn Træhugorm
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1851 | |
Vipera chlorechis Pel |
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Echis chlorechis Jan 1863 |
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Atheris chlorechis Boulenger 1896 |
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1855 | |
Vipera chloroechis Schlegel (ICZN 1991: Opinion 1634; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999) |
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Toxicoa chloroechis Cope 1860 |
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Atheris chloroechis Peters 1864 |
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1885 | |
Atheris proximus Rochebrune (McDiarmid, Campbel & Touré 1999) |
Distribution:
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Liberia,
Nigeria,
Sierra Leone,
Togo.
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Atheris chlorechis
© Rune Midtgaard
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Atheris desaixi
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Mount Kenya Bush Viper, (Desaix's Bush Viper)
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Mount-Kenya-Buschviper
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Mount Kenya-træhugorm
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1968 | |
Atheris desaixi Ashe |
Distribution:
Kenya.
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Atheris hetfieldi
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Bioko Bush Viper, (Hetfield's Bush Viper)
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Bioko-Buschviper
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Bioko-træhugorm
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2020 | |
Atheris hetfieldi Ceríaco, Marques & Bauer |
Distribution:
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko).
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Atheris hirsuta
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Tai Hairy Bush Viper, West African Hairy Bush Viper
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Haarige Buschviper
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Tai-træhugorm
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2002 | |
Atheris hirsuta Ernst & Rödel |
Distribution:
Ivory Coast,
Liberia.
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Atheris hispida
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Rough-scaled Bush Viper, Prickly Bush Viper, Spiny Bush Viper, Bristly Bush Viper, (Hairy Bush Viper)
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Rauschuppen-Buschviper
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Ruskællet Træhugorm
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1955 | |
Atheris hispida Laurent |
Distribution:
Congo-Kinshasa,
Kenya,
Tanzania,
Uganda.
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Atheris katangensis
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Katanga Bush Viper, Katanga Mountain Bush Viper, Upemba Bush Viper, Shaba Bush Viper
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Katanga-Buschviper, Shaba-Buschviper
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Katanga-træhugorm
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1953 | |
Atheris katangensis Witte |
Distribution:
Congo-Kinshasa,
Zambia.
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Atheris mabuensis
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Mount Mabu Bush Viper, Mount Mabu Forest Viper
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Mount-Mabu-Buschviper
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Mabu-træhugorm
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2009 | |
Atheris mabuensis Branch & Bayliss |
Distribution:
Mozambique.
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Atheris matildae
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Southern Tanzanian Bush Viper, (Matilda's Horned Viper)
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Südliche Tansania-Buschviper
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Sydtanzaniansk Træhugorm
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2011 | |
Atheris matildae Menegon, Davenport & Howell |
Distribution:
Tanzania.
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Atheris mongoensis
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Mongo Hairy Bush Viper
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Mongo-Buschviper
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Mongo-træhugorm
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2020 | |
Atheris mongoensis Collet & Trape |
Distribution:
Congo-Kinshasa.
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Atheris nitschei
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Great Lakes Bush Viper, Sedge Viper, Black and Green Bush Viper, (Nitsche's Bush Viper)
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Schwarzgrüne Buschviper
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Sort-grøn Træhugorm
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1902 | |
Atheris nitschei Tornier |
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1906 | |
Atheris woosnami Boulenger (Golay & al. 1993) |
Remarks:
Previously included rungweensis. Occurrence in Tanzania needs confirmation (Menegon, Davenport & Howell 2011).
Distribution:
Burundi,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Rwanda,
Uganda.
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Atheris rungweensis
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Mount Rungwe Bush Viper, Rungwe Leaf Viper, Rungwe Tree Viper
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Rungwe-Buschviper
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Rungwe-træhugorm
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1940 | |
Atheris nitschei rungweensis Bogert |
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Atheris rungweensis Broadley 1998 |
Distribution:
Malawi,
Tanzania,
Zambia.
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Atheris squamigera
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Southern Green Bush Viper, Variable Bush Viper, Leaf Viper, (Green Bush Viper)
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Bunte Buschviper, Blattgrüne Buschviper
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Sydlig Grøn Træhugorm
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1856 | |
Echis squamigera Hallowell |
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Toxicoa squamigera Cope 1860 |
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Atheris squamigera Peters 1864 |
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1863 | |
Poecilostolus burtonii Günther (Golay & al. 1993) |
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Atheris burtonii Günther 1863 |
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1864 | |
Atheris polylepis Peters (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1885 | |
Atheris lucani Rochebrune (McDiarmid, Campbel & Touré 1999) |
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1956 | |
Atheris squamigera robusta Laurent |
Remarks:
Previously included anisolepis.
Several works have reported squamigera from Ghana
(e.g., Broadley 1998; David & Ineich 1999; Hughes & Barry 1969; Hughes 1983, 1988; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999; Spawls & Branch 1995; Trape & Baldé 2014)
and Togo (e.g., Segniagbeto, Trape, David, Ohler, Dubois & Glitho 2011; Trape & Baldé 2014; Villiers 1975; Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014),
however, other works do not mention the presence of the species in these countries (Chippaux 2006; Dobiey & Vogel 2007).
Reported from Ivory Coast by McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré (1999), but apparently in error.
Distribution:
Angola
(incl.
Cabinda),
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko,
Rio Muni),
Gabon,
Ghana,
Kenya,
Nigeria,
South Sudan,
Tanzania,
Togo,
Uganda.
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Atheris squamigera
© Rune Midtgaard
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Atheris subocularis
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Cameroon Bush Viper, (Fischer's Bush Viper)
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Kamerun-Buschviper, Tiefland-Buschviper
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Camerounsk Træhugorm
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1888 | |
Atheris subocularis Fischer |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of squamigera (e.g., McDiarmid, Campbel & Touré 1999).
Revalidated by Lawson, Noonan & Ustach (2001). David & Vogel (2010) expressed doubt regarding the validity of this species.
Distribution:
Cameroon.
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