Habitat: West Africa, from the Cameroons to Angola.
(3) A. ceratophorus.—Several erect, supraciliary horn-like scales; 9-10 scales from eye to eye; 25 rows of scales in the middle of the body, strongly keeled; 142 ventrals; 55 subcaudals.
Colour dark olive, with black spots forming cross-bands; belly pale olive, speckled with black.
Total length, 210 millimetres; tail 65.
Habitat: East Africa.
(g) Atractaspis.
([Fig. 42].)
This genus is characterised by enormous poison-fangs, a few teeth on the palatines, and none on the pterygoids. The mandible, which is edentulous in front, has only two or three small teeth in the middle of the dentary bone. Head small, not distinct from the neck, covered with large symmetrical shields; nostril between two nasal shields; eyes minute, with round pupils; postfrontal bone absent. Body cylindrical; scales smooth, in 17-37 rows; ventrals rounded. Tail short; subcaudals in 1 or 2 rows.
(1) A. hildebrandtii.—Six supralabials; no præocular shields; frontal shorter than the parietals; scales on the body in 17 rows; ventrals 167-174.
Colour uniform dark brown.