''Atheris anisolepis'', otherwise known as the Mayombe bush-viper, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of viper

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to west-central Africa.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. (series). (volume). No

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

are currently recognized. The Atheris anisolepis is very similar to the Atheris squamigera but it is differentiated by the complete row of scales between the supralabial scales and the ocular scales as well as having enlarged, smooth, and/or weekly keeled scales. However, this differentiation does not always apply and may not always be accurate.Lawson, D. P., & Ustach, P. C. (2000). A Redescription of Atheris squamigera (Serpentes: Viperidae) with Comments on the Validity of Atheris anisolepis. Journal of Herpetology, 34(3), 386–389. https://doi.org/10.2307/1565361

Distribution

''Atheris anisolepis'' is found in southern Gabon, southern Congo, and western Democratic Republic of Congo. It might be present in northern Angola, but was not listed as present by Marques and colleagues (2018).

Habitat

''Atheris anisolepis'' is an

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

snake that is found in drier areas of shrub and woodland-

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

at elevations below .

References

*Lawson DP, Ustach PC. 2000. A redescription of ''Atheris squamigera'' (Serpentes: Viperidae) with comments on the validity of ''Atheris anisolepis. Journal of Herpetology'' (Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles) 34 (3): 386–389. *Golay P, Smith HM, Broadley DG, Dixon JR, McCarthy CJ, Rage J-C, Schätti B, Toriba M. 1993. ''Endoglyphs and Other Major Venomous Snakes of the World: A Checklist''. Geneva: Azemiops. 478 pp. * Mocquard F. 1887. ''Sur les Ophidiens rapportés du Congo par la Mission de Brazza. Bull. Soc. Philomath., Paris,'' Series 7, 11: 62–92.
(''"Atheris anisolepis, n. sp."'', pp. 89–92.)

anisolepis ''Anisolepis'' is a small genus of lizards in the family Leiosauridae. The genus is endemic to South America. Species Three species are known from South America. *'' Anisolepis grilli'' – Boulenger's tree lizard *'' Anisolepis longicauda'' * ...

Snakes of Africa Reptiles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Reptiles of Gabon Reptiles of the Republic of the Congo Taxa named by François Mocquard Reptiles described in 1887 {{Snake-stub

Distribution

Habitat

References

Further reading