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Bitis
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rhinoceros viper rhinoceros viper Illustration of a rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) showing its thick, colorful body with bold zigzag patterns and horn-like projections on its snout, alongside a scale bar for size reference.
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rhinoceros viper
rhinoceros viper Rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis).

Bitis

snake genus
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History

Bitis, snake genus belonging to the venomous viper family Viperidae, including the puff adders (e.g., Bitis arietans, see adder; the Gaboon viper, B. gabonica; and the rhinoceros viper, B. nasicornis). There are a dozen or more species of Bitis. All occur in Africa and range from 30 cm to 1.8 metres (12 inches to 6 feet) in length.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.