Echis leucogaster
| Echis leucogaster | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Subfamily: | Viperinae |
| Genus: | Echis |
| Species: | E. leucogaster |
| Binomial name | |
|
Echis leucogaster Roman, 1972 |
|
| Synonyms | |
Echis leucogaster is a venomous viper species endemic to West and Northwest Africa. It is named after its white (leuco-), unmarked belly (gaster). No subspecies are currently recognized.
It grows to an average total length (body + tail) of 30–70 cm (12–28 in), with a maximum total length of 87 cm (34 in). The scalation of the head is similar to E. carinatus. The body is rather stout, the cross-section of which is circular or subtriangular. The dorsal scales are rough and heavily keeled. At midbody, there are 27-33 rows of dorsal scales. The ventral scales number 165-180.
Coloration and pattern are both variable. Color ranges from brown to gray to reddish and everything in between. Pattern generally consists of a series of light, oblique, dorsal crossbars or saddles set against a darker ground color. The flanks are lighter in color, normally with a series of triangular, subtriangular, or circular, dark markings with light or white edges. The belly is an unbroken pale cream, white, or ivory.
In West Africa it is found in northern Nigeria, western Niger, Burkina Faso, central Mali, northern Guinea, and Senegal. In Northwest Africa it is found in southern Mauritania, Algeria (Ahaggar), Western Sahara, and the extreme south of Morocco.
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Wikipedia