Atractaspis boulengeri

Atractaspis boulengeri, also known commonly as Boulenger's mole viper, the Central African burrowing asp, and simply the mole viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Atractaspidinae of the family Lamprophiidae.[2] The species is endemic to Africa.[3] There are six recognized subspecies.

Atractaspis boulengeri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Atractaspididae
Genus: Atractaspis
Species:
A. boulengeri
Binomial name
Atractaspis boulengeri
Mocquard, 1897

Geographic range

A. boulengeri is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.[4]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of A. boulengeri are forest and freshwater wetlands, at altitudes of 10–1,000 m (33–3,281 ft).[1]

Reproduction

A. boulengeri is oviparous.[4]

Subspecies

The following six subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid.[4]

  • Atractaspis boulengeri boulengeri Mocquard, 1897
  • Atractaspis boulengeri matschiensis F. Werner, 1897
  • Atractaspis boulengeri mixta Laurent, 1945
  • Atractaspis boulengeri schmidti Laurent, 1945
  • Atractaspis boulengeri schultzei Sternfeld, 1917
  • Atractaspis boulengeri vanderborghti Laurent, 1956

Etymology

The specific epithet, boulengeri, is in honor of Belgian-British herpetologist George Albert Boulenger.[5]

References

  1. Kusamba C, Zassi-Boulou A-G, Chirio L, LeBreton M, Gonwouo NL (2021). "Atractaspis boulengeri ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T20878098A20878102.en. Downloaded on 19 September 2021.
  2. "Atractaspis ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
  3. Spawls S, Branch B (1995). The Dangerous Snakes of Africa. Dubai: Oriental Press. ISBN 0-88359-029-8.
  4. Species Atractaspis boulengeri at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  5. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Atractaspis boulengeri, p. 34).

Further reading

  • Laurent RF (1945). "Contribution a la connaissance du Genre Atractaspis A. Smith ". Revue de zoologie et botanique africaines 38: 312–343. (Atractaspis boulengeri mixta, new subspecies; A. b. schmidti, new subspecies). (in French).
  • Laurent RF (1956). "Contribution à l'herpétologie de la région des Grandes Lacs de l'Afrique centrale ". Annales du Musée Royal du Congo Belge 48: 1–390. (Atractaspis boulengeri vanderborghti, new subspecies). (in French).
  • Mocquard F (1897). "Sur une collection de Reptiles recueillis par M. Haug, à Lambaréné ". Bulletin de la Société Philomathique de Paris, Huitième Série [Eighth Series] 9: 5-20. (Atractaspis boulengeri, new species, pp. 16–17). (in French).
  • Sternfeld R (1917). "Reptilia und Amphibia ". pp. 407–510. In: Schubotz JH (1917). Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Zweiten Deutschen Zentral-Afrika-Expedition, 1910–1911 unter Führung Adolph Friedrichs, Herzog zu Mecklenburg. Band I. Zoologie. Leipzig: Klinkhardt & Biermann. 579 pp. (Atractaspis schultzei, new species, pp. 489–490). (in German).
  • Werner F (1897). "Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Togoland, Kamerun und Tunis aus dem kgl. Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin ". Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 47: 395–407 + Plate II. (Atractaspis matschiensis, new species, p. 404 + Plate II, figures 1a, 1b). (in German).



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