{{Short description|Species of snake}} {{Speciesbox | image = Bitis xeropaga.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=IUCN>{{cite iucn |author=Maritz, B. |author2=Turner, A.A. |author3=Becker, F. |author4=Bauer, A.M. |year=2021 |title=''Bitis xeropaga'' |volume=2021 |article-number=e.T22475231A147709049 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22475231A147709049.en |access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> | genus = Bitis | species = xeropaga | authority = Haacke, 1975 | synonyms = * ''Bitis peringueyi'' <br /><small>— Nieden, 1913</small> (part) * ''Bitis caudalis caudalis'' <br /><small>— Mertens, 1958</small> (part) * ''Bitis xeropaga'' <small>Haacke, 1975</small><ref name="McD99">McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1''. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. {{ISBN|1-893777-00-6}} (series). {{ISBN|1-893777-01-4}} (volume).</ref> *''Bitis (Calechidna) xeropaga'' <small>— Lenk et al., 1999</small> *''Bitis xeropaga'' <small>— McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré, 1999</small><ref name=RDB/> }}
'''''Bitis xeropaga''''', commonly known as the '''desert mountain adder'''<ref name="Mal03">Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. {{ISBN|0-89464-877-2}}.</ref><ref name="SB95">Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa''. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. {{ISBN|0-88359-029-8}}.</ref> or '''Lüderitz dwarf viper''',<ref name="Meh87">Mehrtens JM. 1987. ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. {{ISBN|0-8069-6460-X}}.</ref> is a viper species found in southern Namibia and northwestern Cape Province in South Africa.<ref name=IUCN/><ref name=RDB/> Like all other vipers, it is venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized.<ref name=RDB/><ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=634952 |taxon=''Bitis xeropaga'' |access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref>
==Description== Adults average {{convert|40|to|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} total length (body + tail), with a maximum total length of {{convert|61|cm|in|abbr=on}} for a female.<ref name="Mal03"/><ref name="SB95"/>
==Geographic range== Northwestern Cape Province in South Africa and the arid mountains of the lower Orange River basin, north into southern Namibia and Great Namaqualand as far as Aus is the range for this snake.<ref name="McD99"/>
The type locality given is "Dreigratberg on north bank of Orange River, Lüderitz district, South West Africa [Namibia] (16°52' E, 28°05' S, alt. about 300 m [980 ft])".<ref name="McD99"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=RDB>{{NRDB species |genus=Bitis |species=xeropaga |access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref> }}
==Further reading== {{Commons}} *Branch, Bill. 2004. ''Field Guide to Snakes and Other Reptiles of Southern Africa''. Third Revised edition, Second impression. Sanibel Island, Florida: Ralph Curtis Books. 399 pp. {{ISBN|0-88359-042-5}}. (''Bitis xeropaga'', p. 117 + Plate 13). *Haacke WD. "Description of a new adder (Viperidae, Reptilia) from Southern Africa, with a discussion of related forms." ''Cimbebasia, Series A'' '''4''' (5): 115–128. (''Bitis xeropaga'', new species).
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1017606}} {{Authority control}}
xeropaga Category:Snakes of Africa Category:Reptiles of Namibia Category:Reptiles of South Africa Category:Reptiles described in 1975