The many-horned adder (Bitis cornuta ) is a venomous viper species. It is found in certain rocky desert areas, mostly along the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, in western South Africa and southwestern Namibia. They have characteristic tufts of "horns" above each eye. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Venom is a type of poison, especially one secreted by an animal. It is delivered in a bite, sting, or similar action. Venom has evolved in terrestr...
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starts withSmall and stout, they grow to a typical total length (body and tail) of 30–50 cm (about 12–20 inches). The maximum recorded total length is 75 cm (30 in) for a captive specimen.
Two to five raised, horn-like scales occur above each eye.
Dorsally, it has a grey to reddish-brown ground colour, overlaid with four longitudinal series of large, dark-brown blotches, which are squarish or parallelogram-like in shape, and edged with white. Ventrally, it is whitish or tan, either uniform or speckled with dark brown. On the dorsal surface of the head, dark, symmetrical markings may form an arrowhead.
The many-horned adder ranges from the coastal region of southwest Namibia through west and southwest Cape Province in South Africa, with a few isolated populations in eastern Cape Province.
This species prefers rocky desert areas in dwarf succulent veld and mountain slopes in heathland vegetation.
With a nervous disposition, when disturbed, it will hiss loudly and strike so energetically that most of its body is lifted off the ground in the process. However, it usually settles down in captivity.
