Bitis arietans
The Puff Adder is without a doubt one of the best known, and most feared, snakes in South Africa. Their bad-tempered reputation is well deserved as they’re responsible for about 60% of the serious bites and most of the fatalities stemming from snake bites in the country. Their long fangs inflict deep bites and yields a large volume of cytotoxic venom, causing extreme pain, swelling, necrosis, organ failure and death if not treated quickly with antivenom. Unlike most other snakes they’re unlikely to move off foot paths when a person approaches. Before striking they emit a spine-chilling hissing warning sound by inflating and deflating their body, hence the name.
Puff Adders occur throughout South Africa and most of the rest of the continent south of the Sahara, with isolated populations in Morocco and Arabia. They are able to live in almost any habitat. They’re lazy snakes, relying on their excellent camouflage to ambush passing rodents, birds and reptiles. Their strike is so fast and powerful and the fangs penetrate so deeply that smaller prey may be killed by the impact alone! They move in a straight line and enjoy basking in the sun on a warm rock or road. They’re also surprisingly comfortable in water.
At a length of up to 1.9m and weight of up to 6kg, female Puff Adders are considerably bigger than the males. In the breeding season, peaking in autumn, several males may trail a female and fight for the right to mate with her. Litters of 20 to 40 babies (record of 156 noted in East Africa, most of any snake!) are born in the summer months.
The IUCN considers the Puff Adder to be of least concern.
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