Naming
There are 32 species and subspecies in this genus, all occurring in Southern Africa.Habitat
''Opisthacanthus'' is arboreal and ground-dwelling, and found mainly in moist habitats in dense vegetation, pine plantations and forests, hiding under bark and rocks.Predators
This species features in the diets of the bat-eared fox ''Otocyon megalotis'', the yellow mongoose ''Cynictis penicillata'', the small grey mongoose ''Galerella pulverulenta'', and the water mongoose ''Atilax paludinosus''.Defense
Its venom contains powerful neurotoxins and cytotoxins, including mucopolysaccharides, hyaluronidases, phospholipases, serotonins, histamines, enzyme inhibitors, and proteins such as neurotoxic peptides. The venom from ''O. capensis'' is largely composed of melittin which stimulates the release of the enzyme phospholipase A2 causing inflammation and pain. Phospholipase A2 cleaves the SN-2 acyl chain, releasing arachidonic acid. Research has shown that ethnic herbalist treatments consisting of aqueous leaf extracts from ''Momordica charantia'', ''Isoberlinia doka'', ''Terminalia avicennioides'', ''Tamarindus indica'' or ''Crotalaria retusa'' inhibited the enzyme's effects.References:
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