spiny bush viper.

Spiny bush viper is venomous snake native to Africa. These snakes live in Congo, Uganda and Kenya.The species typically inhabits regions of rainforest, since these contain large numbers of flowering bushes. Most of these regions remain far from human habitation, making encounters rare.This snake is known for its extremely keeled dorsal scales that give it a bristly appearance and has proven to be more toxic than researchers previously thought.


Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Reptilia
Order:Squamata
Suborder:Serpentes
Family:Viperidae
Genus:Atheris
Species:A. hispida

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION


In addition to a small size, the Spiny Bush Viper displays a moderate degree of sexual dimorphism. Males attain an average length of approximately 73 cm, while females only average 58 cm. Furthermore, the males have a much more slender shape than the females. 

The head has a short snout (more so in males than females). The species also has relatively large eyes. The coloring varies significantly between individuals and typically includes shades of blue, green, and brown. This often leads people to mistake individual snakes for members of differing species.

PREY

This snake hunts as an ambush predator and likes to perch on reeds and small bushes.Spiny bush viper is an ambush predator. It uses its venomous fangs to kill the prey. Before the attack, spiny bush snake curls its body in the shape of a letter S. They will also use their highly prehensile tails to hang from tree limbs, waiting to strike at prey. Its prey primarily consists of birds, rodents, lizards, and frogs, the majority of which become active at night

FACTS
  • Females give birth between March and April, often to up to 12 young at a time.
  • Spiny bush viper is excellent climber. It easily reaches upper part of the flowering bushy plants, where it spends most of its day, basking in the sun.
  • Spiny bush viper is nocturnal creature (active during the night).
  • Spiny bush viper produces strong venom which induces severe bleeding of internal organs. Amount and strength of the venom depend on the age of snake, geographic region, altitude and even weather.
  • Snakebite may be fatal for humans because antidote for this venom doesn't exist. Luckily, people rarely visit isolated and remote habitats of Central Africa where spiny bush viper can be found.
  • Female gives birth to 9 to 12 babies usually from March to April. Spiny bush vipers are 6 inches long at birth and have dark green bodies covered in wavy stripes. Young snakes attain adult coloration at the age of 3 to 4 months.
  • Spiny bush vipers can survive 10 to 12 years in the captivity.

SOURCES

https://www.ourbreathingplanet.com/spiny-bush-viper/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwvOzOBRDGARIsAICjxoeIHEeTo0UxU8C1Nj2Z7JuugeYm2HDATeYwtIzPZ04usxAcqUOsyGgaAm2mEALw_wcB

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/spiny_bush_viper_facts/920/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheris_hispida

QUESTIONS

          1.      What type of snake is spiny bush viper?
a.       Non-venomous snake
b.      Tame snake
c.       Venomous snake
d.      Omnivorous snake
e.       Giant snake
          2.      What is the difference between the  males and the females?
a.       Eyes, weight, scales
b.      Snout, length, body shape
c.       Length, eyes, venom
d.      Body shape, tongue, organ
e.       Venom, snout, length
          3.      What are they doing before attacking the prey?
a.       Curls its body in the shape of letter S
b.      Hides in bushed and reeds
c.       Picks out its prey
d.      Searching for their friends
e.       Warm up its body by climbing up a tree
          4.      Where does spiny bush viper originates from?
a.       America
b.      Asia
c.       Europe
d.      North China
e.       Africa
          5.      How long does spiny bush viper usually survives?
a.       5-8 years
b.      1-3 years
c.       10-12 years
d.      14-20 years

e.       13-15 years

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

tornado.

me.