The Horned Adder is a small species of Adder that is native to the Southern part of Africa. They generally only grow to lengths of around 30-40cm.
Horned Adder Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Horned Adder belongs to the Viperidae or Viper family of snakes. This is one of the most popular families of venomous snakes in the world along with the Elapid family.
Vipers are found throughout most of the world but an interesting fact about vipers is that they are not native to Australia. The majority of venomous snakes in Australia are from the Elapid family.
Even though Australia has ‘Adders’, such as the Common Death Adder, these ‘Adders’ are not related to the Horned Adder and actually belong to the Elapid Family.
Some of the other species in this family include the Eyelash Viper, the Fer De Lance, the Gaboon Viper and the European Adder.
Genus
The Horned Adder belongs to the Bitis genus. This genus contains 15 different species of venomous snakes that are primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. However, they can also be found in the Southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula in Yeman, Oman and Southern Saudi Arabia.
The Bitis genus contains both the largest and smallest species of Viper in the World. The Gaboon Viper is the largest viper reaching lengths of up to 7 feet while the Namaqua Dwarf Adder is the smallest, growing to less than 1 foot in length.
The species within this genus are known for their behavior of inflating and deflating their bodies while hissing loudly in an attempt to scare off a potential threat.
Species
Their scientific name is Bitis caudalis and are sometimes referred to as the Horned Puff Adder or the Horned Viper.
Horned Adder Description
The Horned Adder can vary greatly in appearance. They ate a small species of Adder that generally only grow to between 30-40cm in length. A large specimen typically wont exceed 60cm.
In terms of coloration, they can vary from grey, brown, yellow or even a redish-orange. The patterning of the snake is also highly variable and can consist of elliptical, square or diamond shaped blotches.
The defining feature of this snake is the two horns at the front of their head. These two ‘horns’ consist of a single horn on the inside of each eye that extends upwards.
Distribution and Habitat
The Horned Adder is native to Northern and Western South Africa. It can also be found throughout most of Namibia as well as the Southern parts of Botswana and Zimbabwe.
They share parts of their geographical range with species such as the Leopard Tortoise, the Egg Eater Snake, the White Throat Monitor, the Berg Adder and the Armadillo Lizard.
Their distribution consists of the regions in and around the Namib and Kalahari Deserts of Southern Africa. They like to live in arid regions with sparse vegetation.
Horned Adder Venom
The Horned Adder venom is mildly Cytotoxic. This can cause a lot of pain and swelling. In severe cases it can cause shock and necrosis around the area of the bite.
There is no Anti-Venom for this snake but thankfully it is not as venomous as many other species and many bites don’t even require hospitalization. However, a bite from this snake is still very serious.
When approached or threatened, the Horned Adder will flatten its body and hiss loudly. This is the snake’s first line of defense. If this does not work, the snake will strike repeatedly. This can result in multiple envenomation’s.