Atheris hetfieldi

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Atheris hetfieldi
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Atheris
Species:
A. hetfieldi
Binomial name
Atheris hetfieldi
Ceríaco, Marques, & Bauer  [ fr ], 2020 [1]

Atheris hetfieldi, or Hetfield's bush viper, is a species of viper found in Bioko Island. The species gets its name in honour of James A. Hetfield, the vocalist and guitarist from Metallica as the authors were fans of the band from a young age and naming a species after a celebrity helps to raise awareness for biodiversity. [2] [3]

Contents

Description

In comparison to most other Atheris species, A. hetfieldi lacks "horns" above its eyes, has 1 or 2 rows of scales between the eyes and supralabials, lacks lanceolate or acuminate scales on the top of its head, lacks markings on the top or sides of its head, has 153 ventral scales, has 47 to 50 undivided subcaudals, has 4 irregularly sized suprarostrals, has 3 scales between the eye and the nasal, has 19 or 20 interrictals, has 23 to 25 midbody scale rows, has 10 interorbitals and has a brown-green dorsal coloration with large, dark transverse markings. [1] [2]

A. hetfieldi can grow to a known maximum of 52 cm (20 in). [2]

Distribution

Specifically, A. hetfieldi has been found on Moka road in Bioko Island, [2] and it is the only snake considered endemic there. [1]

Related Research Articles

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<i>Trimeresurus albolabris</i> Species of snake

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<i>Atheris squamigera</i> Species of snake

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<i>Atheris</i> Genus of venomous vipers of tropical Africa

Atheris is a genus of vipers known as bush vipers. They are found only in tropical subsaharan Africa and many species have isolated and fragmented distributions due to their confinement to rain forests. Like all other vipers, they are venomous. In an example of convergent evolution, they show many similarities to the arboreal pit vipers of Asia and South America. Seventeen species are currently recognized.

<i>Atheris barbouri</i> Species of snake

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Proatheris is a monotypic genus created for the viper species, Proatheris superciliaris. This is a small terrestrial species endemic to East Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Atheris ceratophora</i> Species of snake

Atheris ceratophora is a venomous viper species endemic to a few mountain ranges in Tanzania. This used to be the only horned, arboreal viper known from Africa, until the discovery in 2011 of Atheris matildae, also found in Tanzania. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Atheris chlorechis</i> Species of snake

Atheris chlorechis is a viper species found only in the forests of West Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized. It is the type species of its genus. It is venomous. Atheris chlorechis venom can lead to major systemic envenoming, shock, blood loss due to coagulopathy, and renal failure. There is no antivenom.

<i>Atheris desaixi</i> Species of snake

Atheris desaixi, commonly known as the Mount Kenya bush viper, Ashe's bush viper, or Desaix's bush viper, is a venomous species of viper endemic to Kenya, where only two isolated populations are known. It is known for its striking black and yellow coloration. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Atheris hispida</i> Species of snake

Atheris hispida is a viper species endemic to Central Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. It is known for its extremely keeled dorsal scales that give it a bristly appearance. No subspecies are currently recognized. Common names include rough-scaled bush viper, spiny bush viper, hairy bush viper, and others.

Atheris katangensis, also known as the Katanga Mountain bush viper and other common names, is a species of venomous viper found in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Zambia. No subspecies are currently recognized.

<i>Atheris nitschei</i> Species of snake

Atheris nitschei is a species of venomous snake, a viper in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to Africa. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Atheris rungweensis</i> Species of snake

Atheris rungweensis, commonly known as the Rungwe tree viper, Mt Rungwe bush viper, and Rungwe leaf viper, is a species of venomous viper found in East Africa.

Atheris anisolepis, otherwise known as the Mayombe bush-viper, is a species of viper endemic to west-central Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized. The Atheris anisolepis is very similar to the Atheris squamigera but it is differentiated by the complete row of scales between the supralabial scales and the ocular scales as well as having enlarged, smooth, and/or weekly keeled scales. However, this differentiation does not always apply and may not always be accurate.

Atheris matildae, also known as Matilda's horned viper, is a species of arboreal forest viper endemic to Tanzania.

<i>Trimeresurus salazar</i> Species of snake

Trimeresurus salazar, also known as Salazar's pit viper, is a species of venomous, green pit viper first discovered in 2019 in the lowlands of the western part of Arunachal Pradesh, India; the fifth new reptile species to be discovered in the region in 2019. It was named after Salazar Slytherin from the Harry Potter series. It has a dark green head and yellowish green dorsal scales on the rest of its body. The species is sexually dichromatic; the males have reddish-orange and yellow-orange stripes and a rusty red-orange tail that the females lack. Its habitat is under threat from human development activities.

Atheris acuminata, the acuminate bush viper, is an arboreal species of viper found in Western Uganda, closely related to the viper species Atheris hispida. The species gets the name 'acuminate' and 'acuminata' from the long dorsal scales on the back of its head and the front half of its body, which present as long hollow curves which thin to a sharp point. As with all vipers, A. acuminata is venomous.

Atheris broadleyi, or Broadley's bush viper, is an arboreal species of viper found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, and (possibly) Nigeria. The species gets its name in honour of the late Donald G. Broadley, a famous African herpetologist. As with all vipers, A. broadleyi is venomous.

Atheris mongoensis, also known as Yété in Mongolian, Vipère arboricole mongo in french or Mongo Hairy Bush Viper in English, is a species of viper found in Bioko Island. The species gets its name in reference to the ancient Mongo Kingdom which occupied the Mbandaka region, which the species comes from.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ceríaco, Luis M. P.; Marques, Mariana P.; Bauer, Aaron M. (2020-08-28). "The Bush Vipers, genus Atheris Cope, 1862 (Squamata: Viperidae) of Bioko Island, Gulf of Guinea, with the description of a new species". Zootaxa. 4838 (4): 581–593. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4838.4.9. ISSN   1175-5334.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Atheris hetfieldi at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 2 May 2024.
  3. Virata, John (2020-08-28). "Atheris hetfieldi, A New African Bush Viper Named After Metallica Frontman James Hetfield". Reptiles Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-22.