Gaboon Viper

Description:

A venomous viper species. Adults average 122–152 cm (4 to 5 feet) in length with a maximum of 205 cm (81 in) for a specimen collected in Sierra Leone. The sexes may be distinguished by the length of the tail in relation to the total length of the body: approximately 12% for males and 6% for females. Adults, especially females, are very heavy and stout. The head is large and triangular, while the neck is greatly narrowed: almost one-third the width of the head. A pair of horns is present between the raised nostrils. The eyes are large and moveable, set well forward, and surrounded by 15–21 circumorbital scales.There are 12–16 interocular scales across the top of the head. 4–5 scale rows separate the suboculars and the supralabials. There are 13–18 supralabials and 16–22 sublabials. The fangs may reach a length of 55 millimetres (2.2 in). The color pattern consists of a series of pale, sub-rectangular blotches running down the center of the back, interspaced with dark, yellow-edged hourglass markings. The flanks have a series of fawn of brown rhomboidal shapes, with light vertical central bars. The belly is pale with irregular brown or black blotches. The head is white or cream with a fine, dark central line, black spots on the rear corners, and a dark blue-black triangle behind and below each eye. The iris color is cream, yellow-white, orange, or silvery.

Habitat:

Found in the rainforests and savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Notes:

This is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world's heaviest viperid, and has the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. I visited NYC in July this year. Spent an entire day at the Bronx Zoo, where I must say, the animals were happier than I've ever seen (for zoo animals), and for good reason- the enclosures were spectacular and well-maintained.