Atractaspis boulengeri
# Atractaspis boulengeri

Atractaspis boulengeri, also known commonly as Boulenger's mole viper, the Central African burrowing asp, and simply the mole viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Atractaspidinae of the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to Africa. There are six recognized subspecies.

## Geographic range

A. boulengeri is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon.

## Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of A. boulengeri are forest and freshwater wetlands, at altitudes of 10–1,000 m (33–3,281 ft).

## Reproduction

A. boulengeri is oviparous.

## Subspecies

The following six subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies, are recognized as being valid.

* Atractaspis boulengeri boulengeri Mocquard, 1897
* Atractaspis boulengeri matschiensis F. Werner, 1897
* Atractaspis boulengeri mixta Laurent, 1945
* Atractaspis boulengeri schmidti Laurent, 1945
* Atractaspis boulengeri schultzei Sternfeld, 1917
* Atractaspis boulengeri vanderborghti Laurent, 1956

## Etymology

The specific epithet, boulengeri, is in honor of Belgian-British herpetologist George Albert Boulenger.

