Barlow et al. (2013) studied the molecular phylogeography of Bitis arietans throughout Africa (but excluding Somalia where B. a. somalica occurs) and determined that there were several parapatric mitochondrial clades, including a widespread southern African clade subdivided into four separate subclades. While the taxonomic status of the various African clades requires further investigation, evidence of secondary admixture genes among previously isolated refugial subpopulations suggests that southern African subclades do not represent cryptic species. A complex history of refugial isolation and secondary expansion associated with climatic cycles was indicated for southern Africa (Barlow et al. 2013). Two subspecies are currently recognized, namely B. a. arietans (widespread in sub-Saharan Africa) and B. a somalica (restricted to Somalia) (Branch 1999).

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution and the absence of widespread threats.

This species ranges throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia, Eritrea (and perhaps Djibouti, but no records are available - Ineich 2001) and Somalia, south to South Africa (Broadley 1990, Spawls and Branch 1995, Trape and Mané 2006, Largen and Spawls 2010), and disjunctly in much of the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. In northwestern Africa it has a relictual distribution and is known only from an isolated subpopulation in southwestern Morocco and northwestern Western Sahara. In is widespread in sub-Saharan West Africa, occurring continuously from southern Mauritania and Senegal to western Benin, but with fewer, scattered records from Nigeria, and with a northern range limit in western Mauritania, central Mali and central Niger (Trape and Mané 2006). Within Central Africa, it is widely distributed in savannah habitats, including patches of savanna within tropical lowland forest. It occurs almost throughout East Africa (Spawls et al. 2018). In the Afrotropical Belt of the Arabian Peninsula, populations are found in the western mountains below 22 degrees north through the Yemen highlands to Dhofar (Egan 2007). It can be found from near sea-level up to 3,500 m asl (J. Penner pers. comm. 2012).

This species is common throughout its core range and in Saudi Arabia, and is locally abundant in Oman. It is a very rare species in Morocco and it is probably extinct in the Essaouira region. It is frequently encountered in Ethiopia and Eritrea, but may be rare in extensively farmed areas (Largen and Spawls 2010). In East Africa, it is common in populated open areas (Spawls et al. 2018). It is widespread and abundant in southern Africa (Branch 1998, Marais 2004).

This terrestrial species ranges through a wide variety of habitat types. It is found in arid areas, grasslands, savanna, shrublands, in cultivated areas and close to human settlements. In northwestern Africa it exists along the coast and in the Argan forests. In West Africa, it is found in all habitats except for deserts and dense forest (Trape and Mané 2006). It is ovoviviparous with a single litter of 20 to 60 young (which varies by geographical area) and a mean of 20-40; there is, however, a record of a female giving birth to 156 young (Spawls and Branch 1995).

There are probably no major threats to this widespread species. It is threatened in parts of Arabia by overcollection of animals for venom extraction. Animals are killed whenever they are encountered, and larger specimens subsequently eaten (J. Penner pers. comm. 2012),

This species is heavily collected for display at markets by snake charmers, particularly in Morocco. Animals may be sold as curios to tourists. Large animals are eaten as bushmeat. Jensen et al. (2019) recorded 101 animals advertised for export to North America and Europe between 2013 and 2017, across eight range states in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is present in many protected areas throughout its range. No direct conservation measures are needed. Further studies into the taxonomy of this species are suggested.