Atractaspis duerdeni

Atractaspis duerdeni, commonly known as the beaked burrowing asp, Duerden's burrowing asp, and Duerden's stiletto snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Atractaspididae. The species is native to southern Africa.

Etymology
The specific epithet, duerdeni, is in honor of James Edwin Duerden (1865–1937) of the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, South Africa.

Geographic range
A. duerdeni is found in southeastern Botswana, Namibia, and northern South Africa.

Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of A. duerdeni is savanna, at altitudes of 850 –.

Description
In his original description Gough described A. duerdeni as being cream-colored above and below, referring to a faded specimen stored in alcohol. In life A. duerdeni is uniformly blackish-brown or gray dorsally, and it is white or creamish-pink ventrally. The dorsal scales are in 21 rows at midbody. The ventrals number 199; the anal is entire; and the subcaudals number 22, all except the first entire. The snout is prominent and subcuneiform. The rostral has a rounded horizontal edge, and the portion visible from above is a little longer than its distance from the frontal. Females may attain a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 51 cm, and males, which are smaller, may attain 44 cm SVL.

Behavior
A. duerdeni is fossorial.

Diet
A. duerdeni preys upon sleeping lizards and snakes.

Reproduction
A. duerdeni is oviparous.

Venom
A venomous species, A. duerdeni can inflict a serious bite requiring medical attention, but no human fatality has been recorded.