Found in wetland and meadow areas, and elephant grass marshes, along small streams, sometimes in scrub and bush in valleys at higher elevations, and in mountain forests up to the bamboo zone at 1600-2800 m altitude. Common in papyrus reed around small lakes.

Atheris nitschei is a venomous viper species found in Africa from Uganda and adjacent DR Congo in the north to northern Malawi in the south.