The Albany adder (Bitis albanica) is a viper species. It was previously considered a subspecies of Bitis cornuta. Its range is restricted to eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa. Like all vipers, it is venomous.
It is extremely rare, and had been thought potentially extinct until four live specimens and one road kill were found in late 2016 or early 2017. Only 12 individuals have been identified since the species was discovered in 1937.
Description This subspecies does not have the "horns" that are characteristic of the nominate race, B. c. cornuta, although it does have prominent bumps over the eyes. The coloration is brown to reddish brown, and they may also lack the distinctive pattern of the typical form.Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. The Dangerous Snakes of Africa. Ralph Curtis Books. Dubai: Oriental Press. 192 pp. .
This is a small adder. Maximum recorded snout to vent length (SVL) for males is ; maximum recorded SVL for females is .Branch, Bill. 2004. Field Guide to the Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. . (Bitis albanica, p. 118 + Plate 99.)
Taxonomy Branch (1999) elevated B. c. albanica to species level: Bitis albanica.Viperidae - Viperinae - 1999 Publications at Wolfgang Wüster homepage , School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor. Accessed 28 August 2006.
It is commonly known as the Albany adder, eastern hornsman adder, or eastern many-horned adder.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. .
Distribution and habitat It is found in Eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa. They are also found in succulent thickets in the Algoa Bay area of the Eastern Cape, occurring between 50 and 500 m above sea level.
The type locality is listed as "The Dene (Port Elizabeth), Addo, and from dry scrub districts near Grahamstown such as Brak Kloof, farm Springvale, and Kleinpoort near Committees ... Eastern Cape Province, South Africa."
References
Further reading
Branch WR. 1999. Dwarf adders of the Bitis cornuta-inornata complex (Serpentes: Viperidae) in Southern Africa. Kaupia (Darmstadt) (8): 39-63. Hewitt J. 1937. A Guide to the Vertebrate Fauna of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, Part II: Reptiles, Amphibians, and Freshwater Fishes. Grahamstown, South Africa: Albany Museum. vii + 141 pp. (Bitis cornuta albanica, p. 76.)