Southern burrowing asp

Atractaspis bibronii

SUBFAMILY

Atractaspidinae

TAXONOMY

Atractaspis bibronii A. Smith, 1849, eastern districts of the Cape Colony, South Africa.

OTHER COMMON NAMES

English: Bibron's burrowing asp, side-stabbing snake.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The female is 24.4 in (62 cm) and the male 26 in (66 cm). This short, stocky snake has smooth, close-fitting scales in 19–25 rows at midbody. It is uniformly purple-brown to black above. The belly is usually uniform dark gray, but sometimes white to cream with scattered dark blotches.

DISTRIBUTION

From the Northern Cape of South Africa, through Botswana, Namibia, and Angola to Tanzania and coastal Kenya.

HABITAT

Varied, ranging from savanna and semidesert to coastal thicket.

BEHAVIOR

At night they may emerge on the surface, particularly after rain. Underground they use the side of the head to excavate a chamber beneath a sun-warmed stone. They have a peculiar "aromatic" smell, the function of which is unknown. On hard surfaces the neck is flexed, with the nose pointing down vertically, as they try to burrow.

FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET

The diet mainly includes other burrowing reptiles, but nestling rodents and small frogs are also eaten.

REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY

Oviparous, they lay a few (usually four to seven, but up to 11) elongate eggs (1.1–1.4 in [27–36 mm] long by 0.4–0.5 in [10–12 mm] wide) in summer. The young measure about 6 in (15 cm).

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not threatened.

SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

These asps are responsible for many bites in rural areas. The glands yield minute amounts of straw-colored venom (1.3–7.4 mg), which causes immediate pain and local swelling. Mild neurotoxic symptoms (e.g., nausea, dry throat, and vertigo) may be present in the early stages, but necrosis is rare and no fatalities are known. Polyvalent antivenom unfortunately is ineffective.