| Atractaspis branchi | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Atractaspididae |
| Genus: | Atractaspis |
| Species: | A. branchi |
| Binomial name | |
| Atractaspis branchi Rödel et al., 2019 | |
Atractaspis branchi, known commonly as Branch's stiletto snake, is a species of fossorial, venomous snake in the family Atractaspididae. [1] [2] The species is endemic to West Africa. [1]
The specific name branchi is to honor South African herpetologist William Roy (Bill) Branch, a world-leading expert on African reptiles. [3]
The species A. branchi, like other species of its genus, is notable for its unusual skull, allowing it to stab sideways with a fang sticking out of the corner of its mouth. [4] A. branchi has morphological similarities to A. reticulata , but is distinguished by having 19 rows of dorsal scales at midbody. [1]
Atractaspis branchi lives in primary rainforest and rainforest edges in the western part of the Upper Guinea forests in Guinea and Liberia. [1]
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