Albany adder  (Bitis albanica)

Description

The Albany adder is a member of the viper family, a group of highly evolved, venomous snakes (3). Its relatively short, stocky body is grey and boldly patterned with black and white blotches (2). Small tufts of elongated scales protrude from above the eyes and it has long fangs that can be folded against the roof of the mouth when not in use (2) (3). Just above each nostril is a small pouch of inward-folded skin (the supranasal sac) containing many nerve endings (2) (4). Male Albany adders are smaller than females (2). The Albany adder was once considered to be a subspecies of the many-horned adder (Bitis cornuta), but this taxonomy has recently been revised (5).

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