Causus rhombeatus (Lichtenstein, 1823)

Conradie, Werner, Baptista, Ninda L., Verburgt, Luke, Keates, Chad, Harvey, James, Júlio, Timóteo & Neef, Götz, 2021, Contributions to the herpetofauna of the Angolan Okavango-Cuando-Zambezi river drainages. Part 1: Serpentes (snakes), Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 292) 15 (2), pp. 244-278 : 271

Causus rhombeatus (Lichtenstein, 1823)

Rhombic Night Adder ( Fig. 37 , Map 36)

Material: PEM R23405 , Cuando region , Moxico Province, -13.66494° 19.51381°, 1,277 m asl ; PEM R23438 , Cuando River Source Trap 1, Moxico Province, -13.00393° 19.12808°, 1,351 m asl ; PEM R23488 , Quembo trap 2, Moxico Province, -13.13544° 19.04397°, 1,375 m asl ; PEM R27358 , Cuanavale River source lake, Moxico Province, -13.09052° 18.89394°, 1,357 m asl ; PEM R27359 , wetland near old quarry west of Quemba , Bié Province, -12.16960° 18.22965°, 1,353 m asl . Additional photographic records: Cuatir, Cuando Cubango Province, -16.48523° 18.20304°, Stefan van Wyk; Menongue, Cuando Cubango Province, -14.63015° 17.63465°, Stefan van Wyk. Description: Dorsal scales smooth and in 18–20 rows at midbody; 136–146 smooth ventrals; 26–36 paired subcaudals; 2 preoculars; 2 postoculars; temporals 2+3; 6 supralabials; 9 infralabials, the first four in contact with the anterior chin shield; cloacal scale entire. Largest female: 652 + 82 mm ( PEM R23488 ); largest male 611 + 93 mm ( PEM R27358 ). Habitat and natural history notes: One specimen was found preying upon a Sclerophrys pusilla . Comment: This venomous species is widespread throughout Angola ( Marques et al. 2018). Adult material from eastern Angola lacks the distinct dark vertebral black blotches and is more olive in coloration than the southern African material, while juveniles are greyish with distinct black vertebral blotches .

Figures

Fig. 37. Causus rhombeatus from Quembo River source. Photo by Werner Conradie.