2. The gaboon viper is one of the most deadly and gorgeous
snakes
in all of Africa. It is generally found in central Africa,
and favors the tropical rain forest floor. While the gaboon
viper is generally docile, it has the equipment and the
potential to kill a human with a single bite. The snake is
heavy, weighing in at up to 18 pounds, and grows to a length
of up to 7 feet. It has a very interesting pattern of splotches
mixed with brown, black, tan, and white. This coloration
allows
the gaboon viper to blend in with its surroundings well.
3. 1 - The gaboon viper has a head that looks much like a
leaf.
Camouflage is a very important weapon in the gaboon
viper's
arsenal and the head of this snake is one of the best
examples.While its body is multicolored, the head is
generally tan and in the shape of a triangle. It is a
master
of positioning itself perfectly still, and blending in with
the ground and leaves around it. Prey sometimes will
crawl
right on top of the gaboon viper before realizing it's
deadly
mistake.
4. 2 - Female gaboon vipers are viviparous. This
means that the
gaboon viper bears its babies alive, and they
tend to have
around 50 babies per pregnancy.
5. 3 - The gaboon viper is armed with the
longest fangs of any
snake in the world. The fangs of the gaboon
viper have been
known to exceed two full inches. Keep in
mind that this is
per fang. Ouch!
6. 4 - The gaboon viper is a sit and wait predator.
As mentioned
before, the gaboon viper is a master of
camouflage and it us
es this better than most snakes. The gaboon
viper will sit
along some known vermin trail and patiently
wait for supper
to come to it. Once it happens by, the snake
will strike
with ferocity.
7. 5 - The gaboon viper does not let go after the
bite. This is
a fairly unusual method among venomous
snakes. Usually, only
the larger boas and pythons bite and hold on as
they tend to
wrap the prey. The gaboon viper however holds
on until the
prey is dead. This can be a problem when a
human is bitten
as the chance of heavy doses of venom being
delivered is
high.
8. The Gaboon viper is usually found in rainforests and
nearby
woodlands, mainly at low altitudes, but sometimes as
high as 1500 m. Spawls et al. (2004) mention a
maximum
altitude of 2100 m. According to Broadley and Cook
(1975)
, it is generally found in environments that are parallel
to
those occupied by its close relative, B. arietans, which
is
normally found in more open country.
9. Primarily nocturnal, Gaboon vipers have a reputation for
being slow-moving and placid. They usually hunt by
ambush,
often spending long periods motionless, waiting for
suitable prey to happen by. On the other hand, they have
been
known to hunt actively, mostly during the first six hours of
the night. In Kumasi, Ghana, they were regularly killed
around some stables in an open area with the forest some
500
meters away — a sign that they were hunting rats in the
grassland. They are usually very tolerant snakes, even
when
handled, and rarely bite or hiss. However, bites by
bad-tempered individuals do occur.
10. Because of their large heavyset size, the adults have no
trouble eating prey as large as fully-grown rabbits. When
prey happens by them, they strike with fast precision and
then usually hold onto their prey like a constrictor until
the venom takes effect and the prey dies which can take a
few minutes depending on the size of the prey. These snakes
feed on a variety of birds and mammals, such as doves, many
different species of rodents, including field mice and rats,
as well as hares and rabbits. There are also reports of more
unlikely prey items, such as tree monkeys, the brush-tailed
porcupine (Atherurus) and even the small royal antelope
(Neotragus).