Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of vipers endemic to Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the subfamily Crotalinae. Currently, 13 genera are recognized. Most are tropical and subtropical, although one species, Vipera berus, even occurs within the Arctic Circle. Like all vipers, they are venomous.
Keeled scales refer to reptile scales that, rather than being smooth, have a ridge down the center that may or may not extend to the tip of the scale, making them rough to the touch. According to Street's (1979) description of European lizards and snakes, in those that have keeled scales the keels are usually stronger in male specimens and are consistently arranged according to the species of reptiles, even though many others do not have them. With European lizards, the dorsal scales are usually well keeled, while those on the flanks are more weakly keeled and those on the belly smooth. Non-European lizards such as Sphaerodactylus macrolepis also display keeled scales.
Dasypeltis scabra, known as the common egg eater, egg-eating snake or rhombic egg eater, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. It is endemic to Africa.
Bitis schneideri is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to a small coastal region that straddles the border between Namibia and South Africa. B. schneideri is the smallest species in the genus Bitis and possibly the world's smallest viper. There are no subspecies that are currently recognized as being valid.
Bitis heraldica is a venomous viper species endemic to Angola. It is easily distinguished from B. caudalis by its heavily speckled belly and lack of any supraocular "horns". No subspecies are currently recognized.
Bitis inornata is a venomous viper species found only in Cape Province, South Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The red adder is a viper species found only in Western Cape Province, South Africa. No subspecies are currently recognised. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
Amblyodipsas polylepis, or the common purple-glossed snake, is a species of mildly venomous rear-fanged snake in the Atractaspididae family.
The Angolan giant blind snake or Angolan giant blind-snake, also known as the anomalous beaked snake, is a species of snake in the Typhlopidae family. It is endemic to Angola. Its classification was changed from Rhinotyphlops to Megatyphlops when Rhinotyphlops was found to be polyphyletic. In 2014 Megatyphlops was changed to Afrotyphlops.
Boaedon is a genus of African lamprophiids consisting of the "brown" house snakes. The genus was originally described by Duméril but the species contained were reclassified as Lamprophis by Fitzinger in 1843, this taxonomy remained widely accepted until November 2010 when a phylogenetic study was published by C.M.R Kelly et al. who resurrected the Boaedon clade. Although commonly regarded as belonging to the Colubridae, primary literature usually lists them and related species as belonging to the family Lamprophiidae within the superfamily Elapoidea, which includes the venomous cobras and mambas.
Richard Sternfeld was a German-Jewish herpetologist, who was responsible for describing over forty species of amphibians and reptiles, particularly from Germany's African and Pacific colonies.
