Arboreal habits and viper biology in the African rainforest: The ecology of Atheris Squamiger

Israel Journal of Zoology

Volumn 46, Issue 4, 2001, Pages 273-286

  Luiselli, Luca ^a,b,c   Akani, Godfrey C ^c   Angelici, Francesco M ^a,b,c  

^a FIZV   (Italy)

^b Municipal Museum of Natural History   (Italy)

^c RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY   (Nigeria)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARBOREAL SPECIES; DIET; PHENOLOGY; RAINFOREST; SEX RATIO; SEXUAL DIMORPHISM; SNAKE;

NIGERIA;

ATHERIS SQUAMIGER;

EID: 0034998098     PISSN: 00212210     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1092/RUW9-CERW-BDBF-P01J     Document Type: Article

References (42)

1. Akani, G.C., Luiselli, L., and Politano, E. 1999. Ecological and conservation considerations on the reptile fauna of the eastern Niger Delta (Nigeria). Herpetozoa 11: 141-153.
2. Angelici, F.M., Effah, C., Inyang, M.A., and Luiselli, E. 2000. A preliminary radiotracking study of movements, activity patterns and habitat use of free-ranging Gaboon vipers, Bitis gabonica. Rev. Ecol. (Terre et Vie) 55: 45-55.
3. Broadley, D.G. 1983. FitzSimons' snakes (of southern Africa). Delta Books, Cape Town.
4. Broadley, D.G. 1995. Geographical distribution: Atheris squamigera squamigera. Afr. Herp. News 23: 49.
5. Broadley, D.G. 1996. A review of the tribe Atherini (Serpentes: Viperidae), with the descriptions of two new genera. Afr. J. Herpetol. 45: 40-48.
6. Broadley, D.G. 1998. A review of the genus Atheris Cope (Serpentes: Viperidae), with the description of a new species from Uganda. Herpetol. J. 8: 117-135.
7. Butler, J.A. and Reid, J. 1986. Habitat preferences of snakes in the Southern Cross River State, Nigeria. In: Rocek, Z., ed. Studies in herpetology. Charles University, Prague, pp. 483-488.
8. Butler, J.A. and Reid, J. 1990. Records of snakes from Nigeria. Niger. Field 55: 19-40.
9. Chippaux, J.-P. 1999. Les serpents d'Afrique occidentale et centrale. IRD Editions, Paris.
10. Filippi, E. 1995. Aspetti dell' ecologia di due comunità di colubridi e viperidi (Reptilia: Serpentes) di un' area dell'Italia centrale (Monti della Tolfa, Lazio). Ph.D. thesis, University La Sapienza, Rome. pp. 143.
11. Greene, H.W. 1992. The ecological and behavioural context for pitviper evolution. In: Campbell. J.A. and Brodie, E.D., eds. Biology of the pitvipers. Selva Press, Tyler, TX, pp. 107-117.
12. Isemonger, R.M. 1962. Snakes of Africa. Books of Africa, Cape Town.
13. Laurent, R.F. 1956. Contribution à l' Herpétologie de la Règion des Grands Lacs de l' Afrique centrale. Ann. Mus. Royal du Congo Belge, Sciences Zoologiques. Tervuren.
14. Loveridge, A. 1936. Scientific results of an expedition to rain forest regions in eastern Africa. V. Reptiles. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 74: 197-416.
15. Loveridge, A. 1942. Scientific results of a fourth expedition to forested areas in east and central Africa. Bull. Mus. Com. Zool. Harvard 79: 209-337.
16. Luiselli, L. and Agrimi, U. 1991. Composition and variation of the diet of Vipera aspis francisciredi in relation to age and reproductive stage. Amphibia-Reptilia 12: 137-144.
17. Luiselli, L. and Akani, G.C. 1998. Observations on the ecology of Bitis gabonica gabonica and Bitis nasicornis (Viperidae) in the rain forests of south-eastern Nigeria. Bull. Soc. Herpetol. France 87/88: 25-34.
18. Luiselli, L. and Angelici, F.M. 1998. Sexual size dimorphism and natural history traits are correlated with intersexual dietary divergence in royal pythons (Python regius) from the rainforests of southeastern Nigeria. Ital. J. Zool. 65: 183-185.
19. Luiselli, L. and Angelici, F.M. 2000. Ecological relationships in two Afrotropical cobra species (Naja melanoleuca and Naja nigricollis). Can. J. Zool. 78: 191-198.
20. Luiselli, L. and Akani, G.C. 1999. Habitats of snakes in the rainforests of Eket (Akwa-Ibom State, south-eastern Nigeria). Herpetozoa 11: 99-107.
21. Luiselli, L., Akani, G.C., and Capizzi, D. 1998a. Food resource partitioning of a community of snakes in a swamp-rainforest of south-eastern Nigeria. J. Zool. (Lond.) 246: 125-133.
22. Luiselli, L., Akani, G.C., and Barieenee, I.F. 1998b. Observations on habitat, reproduction, and feeding of Boiga blandingi (Colubridae) in south-eastern Nigeria. Amphibia-Reptilia 19: 430-436.
23. Luiselli, L., Angelici, F.M., and Akani, G.C. 2000a. Large elapids and arboreality: the ecology of Jameson's green mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni) in an Afrotropical forested region. Contrib. Zool. 69: 147-155.
24. Luiselli, L., Angelici, F.M., and Akani, G.C. 2000b. Food habits of Python sebae in suburban and natural habitats. Afr. J. Ecol. 39, in press.
25. Luiselli, L., Politano, E., and Angelici, F.M. 2000c. Ecological correlates of the distribution of terrestrial and freshwater chelonians in the Niger Delta, Nigeria: a biodiversity assessment with conservation implications. Rev. Ecol. (Terre et Vie) 55: 3-23.
26. Pitman, C.R.S. 1973. A guide to the snakes of Uganda (revised edition). Wheldon and Wesley, Codicote, UK.
27. Pook, C.E. 1990. Notes on the genus Atheris (Family: Viperidae). Br. Herpetol. Soc. Bull. 32: 31-36.
28. Roux-Estève, R. 1965. Les serpents de la région de la Maboké-Boukoko. Cahiers Maboké 3: 51-92.
29. Saint Girons, H. 1952. Ecologie et éthologie des Vipères de France. Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. Paris 14: 263-343.
30. Saint Girons, H. 1996. Structure et évolution d'une petite population de Vipera aspis (L.) dans une région de bocage de l'ouest de la France. Rev. Ecol. (Terre et Vie) 51: 223-241.
31. Schmidt, K.P. 1923. Contributions to the herpetology of Belgian Congo based on the collection of the American Museum Congo expedition. Part II. Snakes. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 49: 1-146, + 22 plates.
32. Schmitt, K. 1996. Zoological survey in the Oban Division, Cross River National Park. Oban Hills Programme Reports, Calabar.
33. Shine, R., Branch, W.R., Harlow, P.S., and Webb, J.K. 1998. Reproductive biology and food habits of horned adders, Bitis caudalis (Viperidae), from southern Africa. Copeia 1998: 391-401.
34. Shine, R., Harlow, P.S., Branch, W.R., and Webb, J.K. 1996. Life on the lowest branch: Sexual dimorphism, diet, and reproductive biology of an African twig snake, Thelotornis capensis (Serpentes, Colubridae). Copeia 1996: 290-299.
35. Singh, J., Moffat, D., and Linden, O. 1995. Defining an environmental development strategy for the Niger Delta. 2 vols. Industry and Energy Operations Division (West-Central Africa Department), World Bank, Lagos.
36. Spawls, S. 1990. Further comments on Atheris. Br. Herpetol. Soc. Bull. 34: 44-46.
37. Spawls, S. and Branch, B. 1997. The dangerous snakes of Africa. Blandford, London.
38. Stucki-Stern, M.C. 1979. Snake report 721. Herpeto-Verlag, Teuffenthal, Switzerland.
39. Villiers, A. 1975. Les serpents de l'Ouest Africain. Initiations Africaines, I.F.A.N., Dakar, 195 pp.
40. Wakeman, B.N. 1955. Uganda's poisonous snakes: further observations on feeding habits. Uganda J. 30: 101-103.
41. Wallach, V. 1980. Interspecific and intraspecific predation in captive bush-vipers (Atheris squamiger Hallowell, 1854), with notes on different colour phases. J. Herpetol. Assoc. Africa 24: 2-3.
42. Werner, F. 1897. Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Togoland, Kamerum und Tunis aus dem Kgl. Museum fuer Naturkunde in Berlin. Verh. Zool.-bot. Ges. Wien 47: 395-408.