Atheris facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atheris
A Variable Bush Viper, A. squamigera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Viperinae
Genus:	Atheris

Atheris is a genus of vipers known as bush vipers. They are found only in tropical subsaharan Africa (excluding southern Africa) and many species have isolated and fragmented distributions due to their confinement to rain forests. Like all other vipers, they are venomous.

Where do they live?

Atheris snakes live in tropical Africa, but not in the very southern part. They like rainforests and forests where it's warm and wet. Some types of Atheris live in only small, isolated areas of old rainforest. This means they used to live in more places, but now they're only found in a few spots.

How big are they?

Atheris snakes are relatively small. The smallest one, called Atheris katangensis, grows to about 55 centimeters (22 inches) long. The biggest one, Atheris squamigera, can reach up to 78 centimeters (31 inches). That's still smaller than many other snakes!

What do Atheris snakes look like?

The head of a Variable Bush Viper

• Head: Atheris snakes have a broad, triangular head that is easy to see as separate from their neck.
• Scales: Their heads are covered in small scales.
• Eyes: They have relatively large eyes with pupils that are shaped like ovals.
• Body: Their bodies are slender and a little bit flat.
• Scales: The scales on their backs overlap and have ridges on them.
• Tail: Their tails are strong and can grip onto branches.
• Colors: Atheris snakes come in many different colors and patterns. Some types, like Atheris ceratophora and Atheris squamigera, are especially colorful.

Convergent evolution

Atheris snakes are an example of something called "convergent evolution." This means that they look and act similar to other snakes that live far away, like the arboreal pit vipers of Asia and South America. Even though they're not closely related, they've evolved to be good at living in trees in similar ways. It's like they came up with the same solution to the same problem!

What do Atheris snakes eat?

Atheris snakes eat small animals like amphibians, lizards, rodents, birds, and even other snakes. They like to hide and wait for their prey to come close. Then, they strike quickly and hold on until their prey stops moving. After that, they swallow it whole! Some Atheris snakes like to eat frogs more than other things, but most of them will eat whatever they can find.

Reproduction

All Bush Vipers are viviparous, meaning they give live birth. They mate between September and November, and females give to their young in March or April.

Are Atheris snakes aggressive?

Atheris snakes are known to be quite aggressive. They are arboreal, meaning they live in trees, but they can sometimes be found on the ground.

Species

Image	Species	Taxon author	Subsp.*	Common name	Geographic range
	A. acuminata	Broadley, 1998	0	Acuminate bush viper	Western Uganda
	A. anisolepis	Mocquard, 1887	0	Mayombe bush viper	West central Africa: Gabon, Congo, west DR Congo, north Angola
	A. barbouri	(Loveridge, 1930)	0	Barbour's short-headed viper, Uzungwe Mountain bush viper	The Udzungwa and Ukinga mountains in southern Tanzania
	A. broadleyi	D. Lawson, 1999	0	Broadley's bush viper	Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Congo
	A. ceratophora	F. Werner, 1895	0	Usambara eyelash viper	The Usambara and Uzungwe Mountains in Tanzania
	A. chlorechisT	(Pel, 1851)	0	West African bush viper	West Africa including Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, isolated locations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon
	A. desaixi	Ashe, 1968	0	Mount Kenya bush viper, Ashe's bush viper	Two isolated populations in Kenya: in the forests at Chuka, south-eastern Mount Kenya, and Igembe in the northern Nyambeni range
	A. hirsuta	R. Ernst & Rödel, 2002	0	Tai hairy bush viper	Ivory Coast
	A. hetfieldi	Ceríaco, Marques, & Bauer, 2020	0	Hetfield’s bush viper	Bioko island, Equatorial Guinea
	A. hispida	Laurent, 1955	0	African hairy bush viper	Central Africa: DR Congo, south-west Uganda, west Kenya
	A. katangensis	de Witte, 1953	0	Katanga mountain bush viper	Restricted to Upemba National Park, Shaba Province in eastern DR Congo
	A. mabuensis	Branch & Bayliss, 2009	0	Mount Mabu forest viper	Mount Mabu and Mount Namuli, northern Mozambique
	A. matildae	Menegon, Davenport & Howell, 2011	0	Matilda's horned viper	south west Tanzania
	A. mongoensis	Collet & Trape, 2020	0	Mongo hairy bush viper	Democratic Republic of Congo
	A. nitschei	Tornier, 1902	0	Great Lakes bush viper	Central Africa from east DR Congo, Uganda and west Tanzania southward to north Malawi and north Zambia.
	A. rungweensis	Bogert, 1940	0	Mt. Rungwe bush viper	southwestern Tanzania, northeastern Zambia, northern Malawi
	A. squamigera	(Hallowell, 1856)	0	Variable bush viper	West and central Africa: Ivory Coast and Ghana, eastward through southern Nigeria to Cameroon, southern Central African Republic, Gabon, Congo, DR Congo, northern Angola, Uganda, Tanzania (Rumanika Game Reserve), western Kenya, and Bioko Island
	A. subocularis	Fischer, 1888	0		Cameroon

*) Not including the nominate subspecies
^T) Type species

Atheris and humans

Atheris snakes usually live far away from people, so they don't often interact with humans.

Conservation status

Some types of Atheris snakes are in danger because their rainforest homes are being destroyed. This means they have fewer places to live and find food.

Interesting facts about Atheris snakes

• Atheris snakes have prehensile tails, which means they can use their tails to grip onto branches.
• They are ambush predators, which means they hide and wait for their prey to come close before attacking.
• Some Atheris species can change color to blend in with their surroundings.
• A major cause of illness and mortality in both caged and wild bush viper snakes is Snake fungal disease (SFD).
• A. squamigera is reported to do very well in captivity, needing only arboreal access and having no particular temperature requirements.
• Captive specimens take mice and small birds.
• Atheris-specific antivenom does not exist and antivenom meant for bites from other species seems to have little effect.

See also

In Spanish: Atheris para niños