The World Of Atheris - Atheris squamigera

Echis squamigera Hallowell, 1856
Toxicoa squamigera Cope, 1860
Atheris squamatus [sic] Cope, 1862
Poicilostolus burtonii Gunther, 1863a
Atheris burtonii Gunther, 1863b
Atheris squamigera Peters, 1864
Atheris squamiger Peters, 1876
Atheris lucani Rochebrune, 1885
Atheris proximus Rochebrune, 1885
Atheris anisolepis Mocquard, 1887
Atheris laeviceps Boettger, 1887
Atheris squamigera squamigera Bogert, 1940
Atheris squamiger anisolepis Bogert, 1940
Atheris squamigera robustus Laurent, 1956
Atheris anisolepis Broadley, 1998
Atheris squamigera Lawson, 2000

The species name is Latin for "scale-bearing" and is derived from squama [scale] and the feminine suffix –gera [carrying or bearing].

Leaf Viper; Common Bush Viper; Green Bush Viper

Unfortunately, the latter name is frequently used despite the dramatic polymorphism of this species. Although this is due to the fact that some populations show little polymorphism and are predominately green in color, use of this confusing and misleading common name should be avoided.

A recent redescription of this species (Lawson, 2000) has placed Atheris anisolepis as a junior synonym of A. squamigera thereby removing A. anisolepis from the list of species. Laurent (1956) described a subspecies named A. squamigera robusta based on the large and heavy-bodied population from the Ituri Forest, but Broadley's 1998 review of the genus did not recognize any subspecies for any species, and "robusta" is not considered here.

This species has the largest distribution of the Atherini and is widespread in the tropical forests of equatorial Africa from Nigeria east to the Kakamega Forest of western Kenya (where it is sympatric with A. hispida) and the Rumanyika Game Reserve in northwestern Tanzania. It is known as far south as northwestern Angola. It is also found on Bioko Island [Equatorial Guinea], an island 32 km off the shore of Cameroon formerly known as Fernando Po.

Broadley (1998) and Spawls and Branch (1995) reported that A. squamigera occurs as far west as Ghana, but Lawson and Ustach (2000) noted these records appeared to be based on the Ghana checklists of Leeson (1950) and Hughes and Barry (1969), which do not list referred material to support this distribution. Schmidt (1923) and Cansdale (1961) gave Togo as the western limit of this species, but also did not support this with locality data. In the absence of verified records of this species further west, Nigeria should be considered the western limit of A. squamigera (Lawson & Ustach, 2000).

This bush viper is a highly variable snake with strongly keeled scales and large head. While many are as green as one of their common names suggests, there is a seemingly infinite variety of colors. More typical specimens may be yellowish green, green, olive, or brown. Yellow, orange, red, blue, and grey animals are also known. Venter is some shade of yellow or green often with black markings. Females are usually larger than males. This species averages 18-20 inches (45-50 cm) in length, but some large females may approach 32 inches (81 cm).

Primarily rainforest; also open woodland bordering rainforests and swamps. Altitudes of sea level to 1900 meters.