# crazy looking snake



## Guest (Feb 16, 2006)

Came across this pic a while back on the net.... a mad looking little critter if ever I saw one :lol: 
It's an atheris hispida african bristly bush viper. Here's some information on them:

Other Common Names: 
Rough-scaled Bush (or Tree) Viper; Spiny Bush Viper; Hairy Bush Viper (this latter name should be avoided due to potential confusion with the recently described Atheris hirsuta, a species whose specific epithet literally means "hairy"). 

Distribution:
Isolated populations in western Kenya, southwestern Uganda, and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo [formerly Zaire] near Lakes Victoria, Edward, and Kivu.

Description:
Heavily keeled, elongated, and upturned scales. Snout is rounded and eyes are very large. Variable in color and pattern: yellowish green, olive brown, brownish, or black with a pale green venter (also may be black) becoming darker bluish or black caudally. Most members of this species have a dark chevron on head, and many have chevrons or zig-zag markings on body. Males are smaller and more slender than females, which may reach a length of up to 70 cm (28 inches). 

Habitat and Behavior:
Equatorial and gallery forests, inland swamps, reed and papyrus swamps adjacent to lakes and rivers. Altitudes between 800-1900 meters. The stomach of the holotype contained a snail. May feed primarily on Hyperolidae reed frogs, but the "rapid slurping" feeding technique that this species is known to exhibit may suggest a specialization for soft-bodied invertebrates such as snails and slugs.


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## peterjohnson64 (Feb 16, 2006)

It must be the "Bart Simpson" variety


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## NinaPeas (Feb 16, 2006)

I cant see the picture


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## jordo (Feb 16, 2006)

I can't see it either


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## basketcase (Feb 16, 2006)

i've heard of a. squamiger but not hispida

the pic...


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## cwarren72 (Feb 16, 2006)

what the hell is that thing?


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## jordo (Feb 16, 2006)

Wow, looks like something out of harry potter!


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## basketcase (Feb 16, 2006)

it really is a shame we can't keep some exotics. maybe then aussie herps would be a little more knowledgable about some of the fantastic herps that exist overseas.


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## krusty (Feb 16, 2006)

that looks so cool very nice.


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## Rennie (Feb 16, 2006)

They look amazing!


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## kahn_10 (Feb 16, 2006)

awsom to look at lol ! wonder if they would be soft or hard to touch???


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## jnglgrl (Feb 17, 2006)

That would have to be the prettiest snake ive ever seen


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## SnakePower (Feb 17, 2006)

that is one hell of an awesome specimen!!!


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## NCHERPS (Feb 17, 2006)

basketcase said:


> i've heard of a. squamiger but not hispida
> 
> the pic...



Hey Basket,
Atheris Hispidus or Rough-scaled tree viper is not the same as the more commonly seen and kept Atheris Squamiger(Bush or leaf viper).
A.Hispidus was once many years ago thought to be the same species as 'squamiger', but has for the last few decades been classified as 'Hispidus', they are noticeably different side by side, but pictures can make it difficult at times.
The photo you have there looks like a A. Hispidus to me.
Great little species to work with, especially if you can get CB, which is rare.

Cheers Neil


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## Livewire (Feb 17, 2006)

> It must be the "Bart Simpson" variety



I agree, Peter. lol


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## thals (Feb 17, 2006)

wow they are trully cool looking snakes! Would absolutely LAHHHV to keep one of those lol


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## deathinfire (Feb 24, 2006)

its eyes are amazing


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## Retic (Feb 24, 2006)

I agree, the number of times a photo of a really common or obvious reptile gets posted and most people haven't a clue is amazing. That's not really a criticism but because we have become very insular in our thinking it means we often don't even want to know about overseas animals which is a great shame. 
I feel the same when exotics get mentioned people say our animals are the best, if you don't like them then live somewhere else, I have actually heard that said. To me it's just variety. 



basketcase said:


> it really is a shame we can't keep some exotics. maybe then aussie herps would be a little more knowledgable about some of the fantastic herps that exist overseas.


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## yommy (Feb 24, 2006)

So do we know what it actual is??
Is it a venomous species. Cool looking snake anyway


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2006)

Yommy In my first post of this pic 


> It's an atheris hispida african bristly bush viper. Here's some information on them:
> 
> Other Common Names:
> Rough-scaled Bush (or Tree) Viper; Spiny Bush Viper; Hairy Bush Viper (this latter name should be avoided due to potential confusion with the recently described Atheris hirsuta, a species whose specific epithet literally means "hairy").
> ...


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## moosenoose (Feb 24, 2006)

There are some very cool looking animals around,. it never ceases to amaze me about the diversity amongst them.


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## Retic (Feb 24, 2006)

That's right, you see some of the reptiles that come out of South America especially but also South East Asia and some of them look like plastic models, it's hard to believe they are real.


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## Guest (Feb 24, 2006)

> There are some very cool looking animals around,. it never ceases to amaze me about the diversity amongst them.



Amazes me too moosenoose. I don't know much about reptiles from other countries myself but I thought that this species was so unusual the people on here might like to have a look as well.... Cheers


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## Retic (Feb 24, 2006)

Absolutely Colin, while it's fair to say that at present we can't have these animals everyone should see the amazing reptiles that are out there.


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## Hendrix (Feb 24, 2006)

Freaky looking snake, it is amaizing what is out there, I enjoy seeing this sort of thing. Im not sure on how I feel about exotics in AUS, I cant get the whole cane toad thing out of my head when it is mentioned.
Cheers
Hendrix


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## congo_python (Feb 24, 2006)

UGLY lookin snake in my opion !!!

Congo


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## Cyborg (Feb 24, 2006)

Looks like some thing off a hair gel add.


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## Jason (Feb 25, 2006)

thats a cool looking snake.


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## dino (Feb 25, 2006)

*also worth checking out*

if you like that check out www.flyingsnake.org a friend from india informed me of people who have been killed by a variety of flying snake not because they are poisious but because they have a horn on their head its hardened so the snake can crash land and it has done so into people skulls from great heights he says every few years someone dies this way, they are very unique worth taking alook hope i copied the website correct


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## Retic (Feb 25, 2006)

I used to have a flying snake years ago, beautiful snake but a lizard eater, I can say with no fear of contradiction they do not possess a horn on their head and aren't big enough to kill a cat let alone a human. Good story though.


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## reptililian (Feb 25, 2006)

Vipers are so cute. Do they come in green?


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## Retic (Feb 25, 2006)

They certainly do.


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## reptililian (Feb 25, 2006)

Neat! Have you got any pictures of them?


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## Retic (Feb 25, 2006)




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## reptililian (Feb 25, 2006)

Thanks Boa. What a beautiful beastie! They have such sweet little heads, don't they.


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## Retic (Feb 25, 2006)

Yeah they are beautiful, I'm not really into venomous stuff but I love the vipers like those and Gaboon and Rhinoceros Vipers. A mate used to have a pair of green tree vipers and they were mad, literally.


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## reptililian (Feb 25, 2006)

I'm not real keen on vens either (saw my first real live black snake on our farm today! It looked at me! Eek!) but they are so cute... and green to boot! You mean they have a worse personality than boring snappy GTPs?

I saw a rhinocerosaurus viper at The Reptile Park recently. How can a reptile be so adorable? (At least, I think that's what I saw. It had funny little horn things on it's nose)


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## Retic (Feb 25, 2006)

Lets just say that if they don't want to do something they just wont do it, they have a great personality


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## yommy (Feb 25, 2006)

thanks for the slapping colin, i was to excited about the pic not reading the post but thanks anyway, atleast you answered the question.


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## reptililian (Feb 25, 2006)

boa said:


> Lets just say that if they don't want to do something they just wont do it, they have a great personality



And it seems they are just like me... stubborn![/list]


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## Retic (Feb 25, 2006)

I'd rather think of it as being single minded


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## reptililian (Feb 25, 2006)

Yes, thankyou. And strong-willed! Lily For President!! :lol:


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## dino (Feb 25, 2006)

*may have killed 16 in russia*

good story any way ckeck it out http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/378/16500_snake.html
also http://www.uncoveror.com/flying.htm
yeah like i said a friend told me am skeptical myself but you hear of people dieing from falling coconuts they are heavy but not that high and to a lesser extent a penny droped from the ifel tower or what ever its called is suppossed to kill if it gets you in the right spot and an arrow falling from the sky after its lost it thrust will kill, a flying snake being much heavier than an arrow and not sharp of course would be like getting hit on the head with a blunt instrument the variety resposible for this does have a horn like thing on its head its almost the exact same colour as yours (very jelous of those by the way great snakes must of been hard to house) ill try to find the picture you can clearly see the horn looks like a prawn with a broken/stumpy horn some say a rooster .anyway i scoffed at the notion at first the guy is religious wears a turban some indian religion ,he looked at me very seriously put his hand on my shoulder and said in my village we have burried people from this death and described how he has been hit by them many times they use you to land on he says .


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## scotchbo (Apr 12, 2006)

i would love to have one of them there wicked lookin


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## crackers (Apr 12, 2006)

even though weve got the best of the herp critters in the world :wink: :wink: id love to be able to keep some of the stuff u can get out there


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## Retic (Apr 12, 2006)

I reckon every country has the best reptiles in the world.


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## NaughtyByNature (Apr 12, 2006)

I think it's cute in a SCARY WAY


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## pixie (Apr 12, 2006)

its awesome...


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## fozzard (Apr 12, 2006)

Thats awesome really awesome anyone know how much it would be worth for a specimen like that


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## Retic (Apr 12, 2006)

Overseas I guess a few hundred dollars, here I guess a couple of thousand


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## bulldogwoma (Apr 15, 2006)

*screen saver*

well this little cutie just became my new screen saver.i want one!!


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## southy (Apr 15, 2006)

if anyone has the book "The Encyclopedia of Snakes" by chris mattison, it has a picture of that snake on the cover and here some other wierd and wonderful snakes to search for fishing snake ( erpeton tentaculatum), hognose snake ( heterodon simus), north african desert horned viper (cerastes cerastes), langaha nasuta


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## Hickson (Apr 15, 2006)

I'm sure I saw an episode of "Star Trek - The Next Generation" with some aliens that had faces that looked just like that snake.



Hix


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