Gaboon Viper

Bitis gabonica

Geographical locale

• Found along the equatorial belt of Africa, East & Central Africa and Eastern Southern Africa.

Appearance

• The Gaboon Viper is the largest viper in Africa, reaching lengths of up to 6' and weighing more than 20kgs in some instances.
• Large triangularhead tapering into a narrow neck.
• A pair of ‘horns’ are located between their raised nostrils.
• Has a distinctive brown stripe on its pale head.
• Body colour is pale with brown, beige and yellow markings allowing for easy camouflage.

Venom

• Cytotoxic – cell destroying – and delivered in large quantities due to the size of its venom glands and length of its fangs.
• Delivers the venom deep in to the wound.

The Bite

• Two puncture marks at wound site.

Lifecycle

• Viviparous – gives birth to live young and up to 30 at a time.
• Gestation period about 7 months.
• Newly born Gaboon Vipers are about 11 3/4" long.

Habits

• Favoured habitat is rain forests and woodlands on the edge of the rainforests.
• Largely nocturnal.
• Extremely docile, solitary snake.
• Diet consists mainly of birds and mammals but will also eat insects and rodents.
• Generally ambushes its prey rather than actively hunts it.
• Unlikely to attack unless seriously provoked.