Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
July 16th, 2024.
 
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Genus
Bitis
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African Adders
|
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Puffottern
|
 |
Puffaddere
|
|
1768 |  |
Cobra Laurenti [suppressed: ICZN (1945): Opinion 188] (type species: Coluber atropos Linnaeus 1758) |
|
1820 | |
Echidna Merrem (type species: Vipera arietans Merrem 1820) |
|
1842 | |
Bitis Gray (type species: Vipera arietans Merrem 1820) |
|
1842 | |
Clotho Gray (type species: Cobra clotho Laurenti 1768) |
|
1845 | |
Calechidna Tschudi (type species: Echidna ocellata Tschudi 1845) |
|
1939 | |
Hallowellius Reuss (type species: Cerastes nasicornis Hallowell 1847, based on a misidentified Bitis gabonica; see Krecsac 2007) |
|
1939 | |
Macrocerastes Reuss (type species: Coluber nasicornis Shaw 1792) |
|
1999 | |
Keniabitis Lenk, Herrmann, Joger & Wink (type species: Bitis worthingtoni Parker 1932) |
Contents:
18 species, of which 9 (50.0%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
Previously included
Montatheris hindii and
Proatheris superciliaris.
Distribution:
Africa, Middle East.
Reported from:
Algeria,
Angola
(incl.
Cabinda),
Benin,
Botswana,
Burkina Faso,
Burundi,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Chad,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko,
Rio Muni),
Eritrea,
Eswatini,
Ethiopia,
Gabon,
Gambia,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau
(incl.
Bijagos Archipelago),
Ivory Coast,
Kenya,
Lesotho,
Liberia,
Malawi,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Mozambique,
Namibia,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Oman,
Rwanda,
Saudi Arabia,
Senegal,
Sierra Leone,
Somalia,
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
Free State,
Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga,
North West Province,
Northern Cape,
Western Cape),
South Sudan,
Sudan,
Tanzania,
Togo,
Uganda,
Western Sahara,
Yemen,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe.
| |
|
Bitis albanica
|
Albany Adder, (Eastern Many-horned Adder)
|
|
Albany-Puffotter
|
|
Albany-puffadder
|
|
1937 | |
Bitis cornuta albanica Hewitt |
|
| |
Bitis albanica Branch 1998 |
Distribution:
South Africa
(Eastern Cape).
|
|
|
Bitis arietans
|
Common Puff Adder
|
|
Gewöhnliche Puffotter
|
|
Almindelig Puffadder
|
|
1820 | |
Vipera arietans Merrem |
|
| |
Echidna arietans Wagler 1830 |
|
| |
Clotho arietans Gray 1842 |
|
| |
Bitis arietans Günther 1858 |
|
1768 | |
Cobra lachesis Laurenti (Broadley 1983) |
|
| |
Bitis lachesis Bogert 1940 |
|
1790 | |
Coluber bitin Bonnaterre (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1798 | |
Coluber intumescens Donndorf (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1801 | |
Vipera severa Latreille in Sonnini & Latreille [part] (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1822 | |
Vipera inflata Burchell (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1829 | |
Vipera brachyura Cuvier (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1842 | |
Clotho lateristriga Gray (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1949 | |
Bitis lachesis somalica Parker |
|
| |
Bitis arietans somalica Loveridge 1957 |
Other common names:
somalica: Somali Puff Adder
Remarks:
Presence in Algeria needs confirmation (Rouag, Ziane & Sousa 2024).
Distribution:
Angola,
Benin,
Botswana,
Burkina Faso,
Burundi,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Chad,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Eritrea,
Eswatini,
Ethiopia,
Gabon,
Gambia,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau
(incl.
Bijagos Archipelago),
Ivory Coast,
Kenya,
Lesotho,
Malawi,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Mozambique,
Namibia,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Oman,
Rwanda,
Saudi Arabia,
Senegal,
Sierra Leone,
Somalia,
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
Free State,
Gauteng,
KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga,
North West Province,
Northern Cape,
Western Cape),
South Sudan,
Sudan,
Tanzania,
Togo,
Uganda,
Western Sahara,
Yemen,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe.
|
Bitis arietans
© Rune Midtgaard
|
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Bitis armata
|
Southern Adder
|
|
Kap-Zwergotter
|
|
Sydlig Puffadder
|
|
1826 | |
Vipera armata Smith |
|
| |
Bitis armata Branch 1999 |
|
1846 | |
Vipera atropoides Smith (Branch 1999) |
|
| |
Bitis atropoides Branch 1997 |
Distribution:
South Africa
(Western Cape).
|
|
|
Bitis atropos
|
Cape Mountain Adder, Berg Adder
|
|
Berg-Puffotter, Bergadder, Atroposviper
|
|
Sydafrikansk Bjergpuffadder
|
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1758 | |
Coluber atropos Linnaeus |
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| |
Cobra atropos Laurenti 1768 |
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Vipera atropos Sonnini & Latreille 1802 |
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Echidna atropos Wagler 1830 |
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Clotho atropos Gray 1842 |
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| |
Bitis atropos Günther 1858 |
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1826 | |
Vipera montana Smith (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1845 | |
Echidna ocellata Tschudi (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
1959 | |
Bitis atropos unicolor Fitzsimons (Broadley 1983) |
Distribution:
Eswatini,
Lesotho,
Mozambique,
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
Free State,
KwaZulu-Natal,
Limpopo,
Mpumalanga,
Western Cape),
Zimbabwe.
|
|
|
Bitis caudalis
|
Horned Adder, Sidewinding Adder
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Gehörnte Puffotter
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|
Hornpuffadder
|
|
1838 | |
Vipera ocellata Smith [not Vipera ocellata Latreille in Sonnini & Latreille 1801] |
|
1849 | |
Vipera caudalis Smith |
|
| |
Cerastes caudalis Gray 1842 |
|
| |
Bitis caudalis Boulenger 1896 |
|
| |
Cobra caudalis Mertens 1937 |
Distribution:
Angola,
Botswana,
Namibia,
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
Gauteng,
Limpopo,
North West Province,
Northern Cape,
Western Cape),
Zimbabwe.
|
Bitis caudalis
© Rune Midtgaard
|
|
Bitis cornuta
|
Many-horned Adder, Hornsman Adder, Hornsman, (Western Many-horned Adder)
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Büschelbrauen-Puffotter
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Mangehornet Puffadder
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1803 | |
Vipera cornuta Daudin |
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| |
Cerastes cornuta Gray 1842 |
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Clotho cornuta Gray 1849 |
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Bitis cornuta Boulenger 1896 |
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Cobra cornuta Mertens 1937 |
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1829 | |
Vipera lophophris Cuvier (Golay & al. 1993) |
|
| |
Cerastes lophophrys [sic] Duméril & Bibron 1854 |
Distribution:
Namibia,
South Africa
(Northern Cape,
Western Cape).
|
|
|
Bitis gabonica
|
Gaboon Adder, Forest Puff Adder, (East African Gaboon Adder, Eastern Gaboon Adder)
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|
Östliche Gabunviper
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Østlig Gabonhugorm
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1854 | |
Echidna gabonica Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril |
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Bitis gabonica Boulenger 1896 |
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Cobra gabonica Mertens 1937 |
Remarks:
Previously included rhinoceros.
Presence in Burundi needs confirmation (Spawls, Howell, Hinkel & Menegon 2018).
Distribution:
Angola
(incl.
Cabinda),
Benin,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Rio Muni),
Gabon,
Kenya,
Malawi,
Mozambique,
Nigeria,
Rwanda,
South Africa
(KwaZulu-Natal),
South Sudan,
Tanzania,
Uganda,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe.
|
Bitis gabonica
© Rune Midtgaard
|
|
Bitis harenna
|
Bale Mountains Adder
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|
Bale-Puffotter
|
|
Bale-bjergpuffadder
|
|
2016 | |
Bitis harenna Gower, Wade, Spawls, Böhme, Buechley, Sykes & Colston |
Distribution:
Ethiopia.
|
|
|
Bitis heraldica
|
Angolan Adder, (Bocage's Adder)
|
|
Angola-Puffotter
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Angola-puffadder
|
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1889 | |
Vipera heraldica Bocage |
|
| |
Bitis heraldica Bethencourt-Ferreira 1898 |
Distribution:
Angola.
|
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|
Bitis inornata
|
Plain Mountain Adder, Hornless Adder
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Hochland-Puffotter, Ungezeichnete Zwergotter
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Ensfarvet Bjergpuffadder
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1849 | |
Echidna inornata Smith |
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| |
Vipera inornata Strauch 1869 |
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Bitis inornata Boulenger 1896 |
|
| |
Bitis cornuta inornata Underwood 1968 |
Remarks:
Revalidated as a separate species by Branch (1989c). Previously included populations now assigned to rubida.
Distribution:
South Africa
(Eastern Cape).
|
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|
Bitis nasicornis
|
African Nose-horned Viper, Riverjack, (Rhinoceros Viper, Rhinoceros Adder, Rhinoceros-horned Adder, Nose-horned Adder)
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Nashornviper
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Næsehorns-puffadder
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1792 | |
Coluber nasicornis Shaw |
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Vipera nasicornis Daudin 1803 |
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Clotho nasicornis Gray 1842 |
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Echidna nasicornis Hallowell 1857 |
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Bitis nasicornis Büttikofer 1890 |
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1854 | |
Vipera hexacera Duméril, Bibron & Duméril (Golay & al. 1993) |
Remarks:
Broadley (2006) suggested to restrict the name Rhinoceros Viper to rhinoceros and refer to nasicornis as the Nose-horned Viper, a direct translation of the scientific name.
By expanding the name to African Nose-horned Viper, confusion with the European Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes) will be avoided.
In Tanzania, known from only three specimens of uncertain origin.
May occur in extreme northwestern Tanzania.
A record from Zambia is based on a single, lost specimen.
New records are needed to confirm presence of the species in the country (Pietersen, Verburght & Davies 2021; Spawls 2022).
Distribution:
Angola
(incl.
Cabinda),
Benin,
Burundi,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Congo-Brazzaville,
Congo-Kinshasa,
Equatorial Guinea
(Bioko,
Rio Muni),
Gabon,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau
(incl.
Bijagos Archipelago),
Ivory Coast,
Kenya,
Liberia,
Nigeria,
Rwanda,
Sierra Leone,
South Sudan,
Tanzania,
Togo,
Uganda.
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Bitis nasicornis
© Rune Midtgaard
|
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Bitis parviocula
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Ethiopian Mountain Adder
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Äthiopische Puffotter
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Etiopisk Bjergpuffadder
|
|
1977 | |
Bitis parviocula Böhme |
Distribution:
Ethiopia.
|
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|
Bitis peringueyi
|
Namib Dwarf Sand Adder, Namib Dune Adder, Dwarf Puff Adder, (Peringuey's Desert Adder, Peringuey's Side-winding Adder, Peringuey's Adder)
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|
Namib-Zwergotter
|
|
Namibisk Dværghugorm, (Peringueys Puffadder)
|
|
1888 | |
Vipera peringueyi Boulenger |
|
| |
Bitis peringueyi Boulenger 1896 |
Remarks:
The species may be present in Angola and has often been listed for the country (e.g., Manacas 1981; Broadley 1983a; Branch 1998; McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999),
although mostly due to confusion with heraldica with which species peringueyi was previously synonymized erroneously (Boulenger 1896), the first
published locality appear to be "Porto Alexandre" (now Tômboa) (Spawls & Branch 1995).
Based on this source, Marques, Ceríaco, Blackburn & Bauer (2018) included Angola in the distribution, however, the locality was later rejected by Branch (2018),
who stated that there are no records from the country.
Distribution:
Namibia.
|
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Bitis rhinoceros
|
Rhinoceros Viper, (West African Gaboon Adder, Rhinoceros Adder)
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|
Westliche Gabunviper
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Vestlig Gabonhugorm
|
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1855 | |
Vipera rhinoceros Schlegel |
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Echidna rhinoceros Duméril 1856 |
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Clotho rhinoceros Cope 1860 |
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Bitis rhinoceros Peters 1882 |
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Bitis gabonica rhinoceros Mertens 1951 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a subspecies of gabonica (e.g., Golay & al. 1993).
Revalidated as a separate species by Lenk, Herrmann, Joger & Wink (1999).
Distribution:
Benin,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Liberia,
Nigeria,
Sierra Leone,
Togo.
|
Bitis rhinoceros
© Rune Midtgaard
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Bitis rubida
|
South African Red Adder
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|
Rote Zwergotter
|
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Rød Puffadder
|
|
1997 | |
Bitis rubida Branch |
Distribution:
South Africa
(Eastern Cape,
Northern Cape,
Western Cape).
|
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Bitis schneideri
|
Namaqua Dwarf Adder, (Schneider's Adder)
|
|
Namaqua-Zwergotter, (Schneiders Zwergpuffotter)
|
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Namaqua-dværghugorm
|
|
1886 | |
Vipera schneideri Boettger |
|
| |
Bitis schneideri Haacke 1975 |
|
1954 | |
Bitis caudalis paucisquamatus Mertens (Broadley 1983) |
|
| |
Bitis paucisquamata FitzSimons 1962 |
Distribution:
Namibia,
South Africa
(Northern Cape,
Western Cape).
|
|
|
Bitis worthingtoni
|
Kenya Horned Viper, (Worthington's Viper)
|
|
Kenya-Zwergpuffotter
|
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Kenyansk Hornpuffadder
|
|
1932 | |
Bitis worthingtoni Parker |
Distribution:
Kenya.
|
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Bitis xeropaga
|
Desert Mountain Adder, Luderitz Dwarf Adder
|
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Wüsten-Zwergotter
|
|
Ørken-bjergpuffadder
|
|
1975 | |
Bitis xeropaga Haacke |
Distribution:
Namibia,
South Africa
(Northern Cape).
|
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|