Atheris squamigera

Atheris squamigera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Atheris
Species:	A. squamigera
Binomial name
Atheris squamigera (Hallowell, 1856)
Synonyms
Echis squamigera Hallowell, 1856 T[oxicoa]. squamigera — Cope, 1860 Atheris squamatus Cope, 1862 Toxicoa squamata — Cope, 1862 Echis squamata — Cope, 1862 Poecilostolus Burtonii Günther, 1863 Atheris burtonii — Günther, 1863 A[theris]. squamigera — W. Peters, 1864 Atheris Lucani Rochebrune, 1885 Atheris subocularis Fischer, 1888 Atheris squamiger — Boulenger, 1896 Atheris squamigera — Bogert, 1940 Atheris squamigera squamigera — , 1956 Atheris squamigera robusta Laurent, 1956 Atheris squamiger squamiger — Klemmer, 1963 Atheris squamiger — Hughes & Barry, 1969 Atheris squamiger robustus — Golay et al. 1993 Atheris squamigera — , 1996

Atheris squamigera, common names green bush viper,variable bush viper,leaf viper, and others, is a venomous viper species endemic to west and central Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.

It grows to an average total length (body + tail) of 46 to 60 cm (about 18 to 24 inches), with a maximum total length that sometimes exceeds 78 cm (about 31 inches). Females are usually larger than males.

The head is broad and flat, distinct from the neck. The mouth has a very large gape. The head is thickly covered with keeled, imbricate scales. The rostral scale is not visible from above. A very small scale just above the rostral is flanked by very large scales on either side. The nostrils are lateral. The eye and the nasal are separated by 2 scales. Across the top of the head, there are 7 to 9 interorbital scales. There are 10 to 18 circumorbital scales. There are 2 (rarely 1 or more than 2) rows of scales that separate the eyes from the labials. There are 9 to 12 supralabials and 9 to 12 sublabials. Of the latter, the anterior 2 or 3 touch the chin shields, of which there is only one small pair. The gular scales are keeled.

Midbody there are 15 to 23 rows of dorsal scales, 11 to 17 posteriorly. There are 152 to 175 ventral scales and 45 to 67 undivided subcaudals. It is possible that there is a variation in morphometric characters related to habitat:

The coloration is the same in some populations, but variable in others. The dorsal color varies from sage green or light green to green, dark green, bluish, olive or dark olive brown. Rare specimens may be found that are yellow, reddish or slate gray. The scales have light-colored keels and sometimes yellow tips that form a series of 30 or more light crossbands or chevrons. On the tail, there are 10 to 19 chevrons: not always clearly defined, but usually present. The ventral edge of the dorsum has light spots in pairs. An interstitial black color is visible only when the skin is stretched. The belly is yellow or dull to pale olive; it may be uniform in color, or heavily mottled with blackish spots. The throat is sometimes yellow. The tail has a conspicuous ivory white tip, 7 to 12 mm long, extending back over 10 subcaudals.

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Wikipedia