第 0354 號，共 1 402 號

Variable bush viper

Atheris squamigera

需要看醫生很少致命，但被咬了需要看醫生。

咬吃：肉

The variable bush viper is a venomous snake that lives in the rainforests of west and central Africa. It is a tree-dwelling viper that blends in well with the leaves of the bushes it hunts in. Its bite can cause serious harm, so it is important to recognise it.1

分布在

West and central Africa, from Ghana east to western Kenya and Tanzania, south to northern Angola and Bioko Island1

非洲

首頁

It lives mostly in rainforest, where it prefers low, thick, flowering bushes. Its green colouring helps it hide among leaves.1

長度

46 cm 到 78 cm (1,5 ft 到 2,6 ft)1

最高速度

大約 3,4 km/h（2,1 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It eats mainly small mammals. It hunts at night, using its colouring to stay hidden and ambush prey. Cannibalism within the species has been recorded.1

Variable bush viper 的照片 — Variable bush viper。照片：LA Dawson。 CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

Usually green, but the colour varies from sage or light green to dark green, bluish, olive or dark olive brown.1
Rare individuals may be yellow, reddish or slate grey.1
Light-coloured crossbands or chevrons (V-shaped marks) run along the body, usually 30 or more.1
The tail has a clear ivory white tip.1

毒液力量

咬

咬的時候，毒液會從毒牙或牙齒出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

It has hemotoxic venom, which affects the blood. It is injected through two hollow fangs at the front of the mouth. Bites have caused at least one case of severe haematological (blood) complications. The venom is used to make prey defenceless.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 嚴重被咬了需要看醫生。死亡案例非常罕見。

Bites have caused at least one case of severe blood complications and two deaths. No specific antivenom is made for this genus, though antivenom for the genus Echis has been shown to be partly effective against its venom.1

好消息：醫生有藥（抗毒血清）或治療方法。1

如果牠咬人

讓傷者保持不動和冷靜，讓被咬的手臂或腿保持在和心臟一樣的高度，取下戒指和緊身的東西，並趕快送醫院。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠咬了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 4 根香蕉頭尾相接一樣長可以在 110 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Variable bush viper 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一隻陸龜 大約 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

Variable bush viper 大約 3,4 km/h (2,1 mph)

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Newborn snakes are already venomous and fully independent, so their mother leaves them as soon as they are born.1

Young snakes have a dark olive colour with wavy bars. Their adult colours develop within 3 to 4 months.1

Breeding in captivity needs very high humidity.1

Captive keepers and breeders often call it simply a "Squam".1

It is the most widely distributed species in its genus, Atheris.1

給毒液專家

學名: Atheris squamigera
類群: 蝰蛇
家人: Viperidae2
排序: Squamata
各大洲: 非洲
寶寶: It gives birth to live young. A single litter can have up to 19 young, though the average is 7 to 9. The young are venomous at birth and are left by their mother straight away.1
對人的危險: 3 / 5: 嚴重3