The Gaboon Viper is primarily found the Rainforest regions of Western and Central Africa. They have the largest fangs of all venomous snakes with lengths of up to two inches.
They are the largest species of venomous snake in the world in terms of weight, even surpassing the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
Another impressive feat of the Gaboon Viper is their venom yield. They have the second largest yield of any snake, surpassed only by the King Cobra.
Their scientific name is Bitis Gabonica. These snakes are slow moving and generally quite placid. However, bites can occur when people accidentally step on the snake as they are well camouflaged.
Gaboon Viper Taxonomy
The Gaboon Viper, as its name suggests, comes from the Viperidae (Viper). Family of snakes. They are part of the Crotalinae sub-family of Vipers and belong to the genus Bitis.
Some of the other species in this family include the Eyelash Viper, the Fer De Lance and the European Adder.
There are 4 sub-families of Viper. These are: Azemiopinae (Fea’s Viper), Crotalinae (Pit Vipers), Causinae (Night Adders) and Viperinae (True Vipers or Non-Pit Vipers). The Gaboon Viper belongs to the Crotalinae family of Vipers.
This means that they are closely related to the other snakes in this sub-family. Other species in this family of Vipers include Rattlesnakes, Moccasins, Bushmasters and Asian Lanceheads.
The genus of snake that the Gaboon Viper belongs to is called Bitis. This genus consists of 18 different species which includes the Puff Adder, Mountain Adder and the Horned Adder.
There are currently no recognised subspecies of Gaboon Viper.
Gaboon Viper Description
The Gaboon Viper can grow to lengths of up to 6 feet, but the average size is around 4-5 feet long. They are the heaviest species of venomous snake in the world. Males and females can be distinguished as males have noticeably longer tails than females.
They have a large triangular head that extends outwards from their neck. At the front of their head, they have two horns that extend upwards from between their nostrils and their eyes are also positioned towards the front of their head.
They have a very distinctive dark triangular shaped pattern that extends downwards from their eyes along the side of their head. Their base colour is usually light brown or tan with darker bands, hourglass and chevron patterning running the length of their body.
These patterns can be highly variable in colour, ranging from dark brown and black to more vibrant oranges, reds and yellows. The different patterns of the snake merge together to create an intricate design along the snake’s body.
Distribution and Habitat
The Gaboon Vipers primary range is the Rainforests and surrounding regions of Western and Central Africa. Their range includes countries such as Southern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and parts of Zambia.
They can also be found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana with isolated populations in other countries as well.
They share part of their geographical range with other common species such as the African Fat Tailed Gecko, Variable Bush Viper, West African Bush Viper and the Rhinoceros Viper.
They prefer to live in humid Rainforests and surrounding areas. Their distribution and range is considered to be the exact opposite to that of its close relative, the Puff Adder who is found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the Gaboon Vipers Rainforest habitat.
Gaboon Viper Venom
This snake is generally considered unaggressive. They also tend to live in remote jungles which limits the number of encounters humans have with them. Therefore, bites from a Gaboon Viper are relatively rare. Bites usually occur when people accidentally step on the snake.
The venom that this snake produces is not considered to be as toxic as many other snake venoms. However, the volume of venom that these snakes can inject is what makes them so dangerous. They have the second largest venom yield of any snake.
Unlike most species of Vipers who bite and release, the Gaboon Viper is known to hold its bite in order to release more venom. This is more common in Elapids than in Vipers.
The venom that the Gaboon Viper produces is cytotoxic. A bite will cause intense pain, swelling and localised blistering. Necrosis can occur as the venom destroys and kills the persons tissue.
Internal bleeding can occur which can result in vomiting and urinating blood. If extensive tissue damage occurs, amputation of the limb may be necessary while death can also occur.
