Atheris hispida - an unusual looking snake.

[Pareeeee]

I think I just found my new favourite venomous snake. I'd actually never heard of it until lately, since I'm not into venomous snakes. I thought I'd just share some info on these little guys!

For anyone else who hasn't seen one before, here you go:

**Pictures are not mine**

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs26/f/2008/166/c/6/Atheris_hispida_6_by_BPFischer.jpg

http://i41.servimg.com/u/f41/13/71/25/61/2012_016.jpg

http://images.joelsartore.com/gallery/A/ANI065-00177.jpg

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/imgs/512x768/0000_0000/1109/2411.jpeg

Info:

Atheris hispida - "Rough-Scaled Bush Viper"

Location: Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)

Maximum size: Males: 73cm, Females: 58cm (females are smaller, unusual among snakes)

Habits: Arboreal, mainly nocturnal.

Venom: Little is known about the venom of this snake, but it is said to be potentially lethal. There is no antivenin available for Atheris hispida venom.

[alessia55]

Fantastic. Looks like a little dragon :yes:

[BarelyBreathing]

Amazing!!!

[*Don't Mind Me*]

I just found my favorite venomous snake too! :Wow:

[jaleely]

I just love, love, LOVE vipers!! Sooo cute!!

[Gungirl]

Haha I love how it has such a short face. looks like it hit a tree to fast or something..

[Pareeeee]

Haha I love how it has such a short face. looks like it hit a tree to fast or something..

I know...it makes it look adorable. I think their little faces look like something from that cartoon "How to Train Your Dragon".

I've got the perfect word for them: Fiercedorable (OK so not a word...) :)

[jaleely]

that's actually a pretty good descriptive word in this case *lol*

[Roadtrash]

If I was into hots I would have to have one, that's a great face on the little fella. I never saw one of these before.

[DragonsEye]

Very cool. The shape of its head reminds me of many of the snail eating snakes.

[botis]

Definitely one of the coolest looking snakes out there. Unfortunately, they are very difficult to keep in captivity. From what I've read, they feed primarily on earthworms.

[Robyn@SYR]

It DOES look like a dragon head!

Not familiar with those either, but those are awesome!

[GTPman4]

That first photo is actually mine. I'll add some more of the same snake tomorrow when I'm at my computer. Definitely an awesome species, but like Botis mentioned very difficult to keep. I believe it is less of a feeding issue and more of a stress from capture/transport issue. This one I was able to do q little photo session with belonged to a local friend and didn't survive long. Had a VERY heavy parasite load and was very dehydrated when he received it. I believe they are just more sensitive to physiological stress than your average snake species.

-Brian Fischer

[Will0W783]

Those guys are incredibly cool little bush vipers, but no one really knows what they eat. They tend to come in with lung worms and roundworms and just don't handle the stress of capture well. A friend of mine managed to keep one alive for almost a year, feeding it yellow garden slugs. However, when the frost hit and the slugs disappeared, the snake wouldn't eat anything else and died. It's such a shame- these would be amazing display snakes. They are by far my favorite bush viper.

[Will0W783]

Also, there is no antivenin available for ANY of the Atheris species. This includes squamigera, ceratophora, chlorechis, matildae, broadleyi, and several others. Some cases of squamigera bites have been somewhat neutralized by administration of Echis (sawscale viper) antivenin, but it is unknown whether this antivenin will neutralize all Atheris venoms. The Atheris genus has a close evolutionary relationship to Echis, and in fact many bush vipers will "saw" their scales together as a threat/defense behavior. My ceratophora does it a lot.

A lot of people used to think that Atheris bites were very mild and posed no real threat; however, there are quite a few cases of severe envenomation by squamigera and chlorechis...squam bites can be lethal and chlorechis tend to cause significant deformity and tissue damage. In short- give these little gems the respect that you'd give any larger viperid.