Puff adder

The puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a highly venomous viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions. It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

This article is about the viper species "common puff adder", native to Africa. For the viper subfamily commonly known as "puff-adders", see Bitis. For the non-venomous snake native to North America, colloquially known as "puff adder", see Heterodon.

Puff adder
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Bitis
Species:
B. arietans
Binomial name
Bitis arietans
(Merrem, 1820)
Distribution range
Synonyms
Click to expand
  • Cobra lachesis Laurenti, 1768
  • Cobra clotho Laurenti, 1768
  • Coluber lachesis — Gmelin, 1788
  • Coluber clotho — Gmelin, 1788
  • Coluber bitin Bonnaterre, 1790
  • Coluber intumescens
    Donndorff, 1798
  • Vipera severa
    Latreille In Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
  • Vipera (Echidna) arietans
    Merrem, 1820
  • Vipera inflata Burchell, 1822
  • Echidna arietans — Wagler, 1828
  • Vipera brachyura Cuvier, 1829
  • Vipera arietans — Schlegel, 1837
  • Clotho (Bitis) arietans — Gray, 1842
  • Clotho (Bitis) lateristriga Gray, 1842
  • Echidna arietans — A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
  • Bitis arietans — Günther, 1858
  • Bitis arietans — Boulenger, 1896
  • Cobra lachesis — Mertens, 1937
  • Bitis lachesis — Mertens, 1938
  • Bitis lachesis lachesis
    — de Witte, 1953
  • Bitis arietans arietans
    — Loveridge, 1953
  • Bitis arietans peghullae
    Steward, 1973
  • Bitis arietans — Golay et al., 1993
  • Vipera (Clotho) arietans
    — Herprint Int'l, 1994
  • Bitis arietans
    — Spawls & Branch, 1995

The species is commonly known as the puff adder, African puff adder, or common puff adder.

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