Common names: many-horned adder, hornsman, western hornsman adder, more.

Bitis cornuta is a venomous

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 viper

Viperinae

The Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the Crotalinae. Currently, 12 genera and 66 species are recognized...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 found in certain rocky desert areas, mostly along the Atlantic coast of southern Africa. They have a characteristic tuft of horns above each eye. Two subspecies

Subspecies

Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...

 are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Description

Small and stout, growing to an average length of 30–50 cm. The maximum recorded length is 75 cm for a captive specimen.

Geographic range

The coastal region of south-west Namibia

Namibia

Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...

 through west and south-west Cape Province

Cape Province

The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...

 in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. There are also a few isolated populations in eastern Cape Province. The type locality given is "Cap de Bonne-espérance" (Cape of Good Hope, South Africa). Actually, according to Patterson's itinerary the type was observed in coastal Namaqualand

Namaqualand

Namaqualand is an arid region of Namibia and South Africa, extending along the west coast over and covering a total area of 170,000 square miles/440,000 km². It is divided by the lower course of the Orange River into two portions - Little Namaqualand to the south and Great Namaqualand to the...

, on 1 September 1779.

Habitat

Prefers rocky desert areas in dwarf succulent veld and mountain slopes in heathland vegetation.

Behavior

Has 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.

Subspecies

Species	Taxon author	Common name	Geographic range
B. c. albanica Bitis cornuta albanica Bitis cornuta albanica is a venomous viper subspecies restricted to eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa.-Description:This subspecies does not have the horns that are characteristic of the nominate race, B. c. cornuta...	Hewitt, 1937	Eastern many-horned adder	South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...  (east and south Cape Province Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa... )
B. c. cornuta	(Daudin, 1803)	Western many-horned adder	South-west Namibia Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March... and South Africa (west Cape Province)

External links

• Many-horned adder (Bitis cornuta) at ARKive. Accessed 5 October 2006.. Accessed 1 March 2007.