Many-horned adder


The many-horned adder is a venomous viper species found in certain rocky desert areas, mostly along the Atlantic coast of southern Africa. They have characteristic tufts of "horns" above each eye. no subspecies are currently recognized.

Taxonomy

Common names include many-horned adder, hornsman, western hornsman adder, and western many-horned adder.
The type locality given is "Cap de Bonne-espérance". Actually, according to Patterson's itinerary, the type was observed in coastal Namaqualand, on 1 September 1779.

Description

Small and stout, they grow to an average total length of 30–50 cm. The maximum recorded total length is for a captive specimen.
There are two to five raised horn-like scales above each eye.
Dorsally, it has a grey to reddish brown ground colour, overlaid with four longitudinal series of large dark brown blotches, which are squarish or parallelogram-like in shape, and edged with white. Ventrally, it is whitish or tan, either uniform or speckled with dark brown. On the dorsal surface of the head are dark symmetrical markings which may form an arrowhead.

Distribution and habitat

The many-horned adder ranges from the coastal region of southwest Namibia through west and southwest Cape Province in South Africa, with a few isolated populations in eastern Cape Province.
This species prefers rocky desert areas in dwarf succulent veld and mountain slopes in heathland vegetation.

Behavior

With a nervous disposition, when disturbed, it will hiss loudly and strike so energetically that most of its body is lifted off the ground in the process. However, it usually settles down in captivity.