West African Night Adder

DESCRIPTION:

The West African Night Adder is also known as the spotted night adder. The West African Night Adder is small and stout with a short head and a rounded snout. This snake averages 30 to 60 cm as an adult, and may reach over 70 cm. In color it can be any shade of light brown or pink-brown or grey-brown above, with dark cross-bars or rhombs down the back and smaller bars or spotting on the lower sides. There is usually a V-shape on the neck which is dark; or light-colored with dark edges. The belly may be uniform white, cream or pinkish-grey or each scale may be black-edged giving the belly a barred appearance. Some specimens have very feint markings, especially in dry regions, making identification difficult.

HABITS & HABITAT:

The West African Night Adder is found from sea-level up to 1800m in altitude in forests, dry or moist savanna and semi-desert. Mostly ground-living but will climb into bushes while hunting frogs. Active during the day and night. Eats frogs and toads so therefore mostly seen in the wet season and hardly seen in the dry season. If threatened it will inflate its body, hiss loudly and sweeping strikes at its enemy.

DISTRIBUTION:

Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic, W Ethiopia, Uganda, S Sudan, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, DRC (except in the east), Congo (Brazzaville), Ghana, Togo, Benin, Guinea (Conakry), Nigeria, Gabon, Angola, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea.

VENOM:

West African Night Adder venom is mildly cytotoxic.

SYMPTOMS:

Bites result in mild symptoms that include pain, moderate swelling and bruising, local lymphadenitis, mild fever; Blistering has not been reported while necrosis is rare and usually secondary; The symptoms disappear after two to three days and normally without any complications; The bite is very painful, but not deadly; Envenomation should not be underestimated as the symptoms can be significant. Seek medical assistance.

ANTIVENOM:

Not effective.