Viperidae

[2] Prevalent species include the Mozambique spitting cobra (Naja mossambica) and puff adder (Bitis arietans), an elapid and viperid respectively, both of which have a potent cytotoxic venom.

The only viperid species captured was Agkistrodon con tortrix (n=3).

Rats (Rodentia), cats (Felidae), monkeys (Primates), goats (Bovidae), chickens (Galliformes), and rarely some snakes act as intermediate hosts, while snakes (boids, elapids, viperids, and crotalids) serve as the final hosts (Reid and Jones, 1963; Pare, 2008).

Four major clades of advanced snakes were recognized, which include viperids, elapids, colubrids, and Atractaspis.

This parasite has previously been reported in two viperids and several colubrid snakes from various North American localities, including Texas (Table 1).