You can find this venomous docile ground-dwelling beauty in the rain forests and savannas of Africa. The Gaboon viper is the largest of the genus Bitis, it has the longest fangs (5cm) and contains the largest amount of venom (5-7ml of venom per single bite) of all snake, and are one of the fastest striking snakes in the world.
This viper has a velvet appearance with its distinctive patter of triangles and rectangles which serves as an excellent camouflage, making it nearly invisible on the forest floor. It has a large triangular head with a pair of horns on its nostrils.
Their diet consists of fully grown rabbits, birds and rodents. They can strike fast and with precision from any angle, holding onto their prey while injecting it with venom and waits for it to die before releasing.
The Gaboon Adder is primarily nocturnal, they are quite placid and moves very slowly. They can reach a length of about 80-170cm and weighs anything between 8-11kg as adults. Gestation takes 7 months and the female give live birth to 8-40 young during late summer.
