Gabon viper: description, habits and interesting facts

Africa is a black continent, long famous for its mysteries and riddles. For a long time one of them was the Gabonese adder. This snake-giant was fascinating and frightening, forcing researchers from all over the world to travel thousands of kilometers to see this viper.

And although now we know almost everything about who the Gabonese adder is, the photo of this creature still stirs the human mind. And therefore let's go on a long journey to the dense forests of Africa, in order to get acquainted with the "queen" of all vipers.

One of the most majestic reptiles

The Gabon viper, or as it is also called - cassava, is one of the most dangerous snakes on the planet. It's hard to say when the white man first met her face to face, because there is no reliable information about it. But the indigenous people of Central Africa know it well. Moreover, some tribes consider it sacred and treat with respect the cassava.

Although there is nothing to be surprised about, considering that the Gabonese viper is capable of easily killing an adult. And, in fact, its size and appearance fully support its deadly reputation. Is it really so dangerous for people, or are they just rumors? But let's talk about everything in order.

Where does the viper of the Gabonese live?

As stated earlier, Africa is the birthplace of cassava. To be more precise, its central and eastern parts. And if you believe the latest research in tropical forests and savannahs, a small number of these snakes also live in the southern and western part of the black continent.

As for the specific habitat, the Gabonese adder rarely creeps out into the open country. She likes to spend her time more often in the forest or on the outskirts. In particular, that is why all its nests are in secluded places, hidden from the eyes of strangers.

However, the expansion of agrarians in many countries of this region led to the fact that the Gabonese adder began to settle closer to people. For example, on plantations and fields, thereby presenting a threat to workers.

Appearance

Kassava has a peculiar appearance, due to which it can not be confused with other representatives of its kind. The first thing that deserves attention is its size. On average, the length of the Gabonese viper ranges from 90 cm to 1.2 m. However, more mature individuals can grow to almost 2 meters in length, and their weight will be approximately 15 kg.

The color of the snake is rather variegated. Her whole body is covered with arbitrary patterns, which can be combined into bizarre images. As for color, most segments have a light gray tint. The remaining parts of her drawing can be black, brown, dark gray, red and even dark green. One naturalist very subtly noticed that the color of cassava somewhat resembles the patterns that the Persians painted on their carpets.

Another distinctive feature of the Gabonese viper is its head - it is simply enormous by the standards of the serpentine world. Even though the snake's body resembles a large log, its skull stands out significantly against the general background. In addition, some snakes have horny growths on their heads, which gives it even greater brutality.

How to hunt cassava?

The Gabon adder, whose poison contains high-speed toxins, like all snakes, is carnivorous. Therefore, the only way to feed yourself is to hunt other living beings. In general, its diet includes all the small warm-blooded animals that live in Africa. Moreover, especially large snakes can defeat a dwarf antelope or a wild cat.

However, it should be noted that the Gabonese adder is not a very skilled hunter. The main problem is that its size and weight do not allow it to move quickly and from afar to attack the victim. Therefore, the only thing that remains for her is to make ambushes.

But she learned this skill very well. Due to its coloring, it can merge with fallen leaves or pretend to be a regular log. And when the unsuspecting nothing of the victim approaches her trap, the snake alone gets its prey by a sharp attack.

How dangerous are the Gabonese adder?

To begin with, the poison of cassava is not the most toxic. On the planet there are snakes, who have poison more deadly than her. However, the decisive fact is that when bitten by a Gabonese adder is able to introduce into the body of the enemy simply a phenomenal amount of poison. That's why she is considered one of the most murderous representatives of her species.

And yet its danger is sometimes exaggerated. The thing is that the cassava has a very calm character, bordering on complete indifference. If the target is not her food, then she is unlikely to attack her. An exception can only be those cases when a person provokes it himself. And then, he should try hard to bring the snake to its emotional limit.

Gabon viper: interesting facts

Cassava is a very curious representative of his species. Watching her, the scientists came to a series of funny conclusions. For example:

• The Gabonese snake is one of the largest representatives of its species in the world. And if in the length with it and someone can compete (for example, a bushmeister), then its weight makes it the queen of all vipers.
• Also, cassava is the owner of the longest teeth among all the snakes. So, in adult individuals, they can reach 3-4 cm.
• One of the most sensitive organs in this snake is the tongue. Thanks to him, she is able to smell even a slight smell of approaching prey.
• A hungry snake can forget about hunting in its territory and rush to new lands. Thus, there are cases when Gabonese vipers were found at a distance of more than one kilometer from the nearest forest.
• If small creatures die immediately after the attack of the snake, then larger ones can keep alive in one place with the help of their teeth. Her bite force is so great that only very large individuals can escape from her capture.