The main staple of the Gaboon viper’s diet is rodents. This is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world's heaviest viperid, and it has the longest fangs (up to 2 inches), and the highest venom yield of any venomous snake. Mambas avoid humans as much as possible, but their strikes release a neurotoxic venom that acts quickly, inducing respiratory failure and eventually death by asphyxia. The Gaboon viper generally grows to a length of about four feet, though it can grow past six feet long. After biting its prey and injecting it with venom, the viper will hold on until the prey dies, at which point it consumes the animal whole. 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027 - (323) 644-4200. A forest cobra inflates its hood, a defensive posture, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ©2020 Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association Agile and arboreal, the eastern green mamba—one of four deadly African mamba species—lives in the coastal region of southern East Africa. When prey crosses its path, the viper will quickly strike. The Gaboon viper’s venom interferes with blood coagulation and breaks down tissues. Their bite can be fatal, though they are calm and rarely bite humans. They will also eat ground-dwelling birds and lizards. These fangs are around 2 inches long. Their record-length retractable fangs can be two inches long or more! Venom extractions have been carried out on four snakes over a 13-year-period and Gaboon vipers are venomous. Gaboon vipers are venomous snakes native to Africa. This is due, in part, to the fact that Gaboon vipers tend to be very calm, docile snakes. However, when a bite does occur, it should always be considered a serious medical emergency. The Gaboon viper snake is also popularly known as the forest puff adder, butterfly adder, swampjack, and the Gaboon adder. Due to their sluggishness and unwillingness to move even when approached, bites most often occur due to persons accidentally stepping on a Gaboon viper, but even then in some cases this does not guarantee a bite. These long, hollow fangs inject venom into the viper’s prey. Bitis gabonica, commonly known as the Gaboon viper, is a venomous viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Gaboons are big snakes, made bigger by their body bulk. When prey crosses its path, the viper will quickly strike. However, it is a rather calm snake, so most bites occur when people step on them. More Info >, Membership Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), Animal Health Care Volunteers & Externships. The Gaboon Viper is indeed venomous. The Gaboon viper’s venom interferes with blood coagulation and breaks down tissues. A Gaboon viper will lie perfectly still on the forest floor, camouflaged beneath the leaf litter. There are two subspecies of the Gaboon viper, one of which lives in western Africa while the other inhabits central, southern and eastern Africa. An ambush predator, this snake can remain motionless for hours, potentially striking anything that steps on it. The venom causes many of the same local, general, and clinical effects as the venom of the gaboon viper. After biting its prey and injecting it with venom, the viper will hold on until the prey dies, at which point it consumes the animal whole. They use those two-inch fangs to inject enough venom to kill a slew of adult men. With the highest venom yield of all venomous snakes, Gaboon vipers have a deadly bite. Cobra venom blocks nerve signals and causes death by respiratory arrest. They have one or two brown stripes below each eye and small horns on their snout. A… This skin provides excellent camouflage in the leaf litter on the forest floor. Besides normal symptoms such as swelling, fewer, convulsions and unconsciousness, blistering is quite common. Victims who live may require an amputation. Zoo is open. The rhinoceros viper, at home in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, takes its name from the enlarged scales on its snout, which resemble horns. They are the largest African viper species, and as an added bonus, the also have the longest fangs! As an ambush predator, this nocturnal hunter will hide among the leaves and wait for its prey to pass by. Bites from this species are extremely rare, due to their unaggressive nature and because their range is limited to rainforest areas. Africa is home to about 20 species of cobras, large snakes that adapt well to habitats disturbed by humans, including fruit plantations and suburban neighborhoods. It can also reach a weight of twenty pounds. Bites can be fatal. They have the typical viper-triangle head (which, in large snakes may be 6 inches across), with a blunted muzzle and wide-set jaw bones, accommodating the large venom glands and making the back of the head obviously wider than the neck. The viper does indeed produce prodigious amounts of venom, but the toxicity, weight for weight, is rather low compared to other poisonous snakes. Occasionally, they have been known to go after larger prey, such as mongoose, hares and even monkeys. Both subspecies live in tropical forests, spending all of their time hidden on the forest floor. Thankfully, gaboon vipers do not bite humans very frequently. The highly toxic venom of the Gaboon viper, which can grow to a length of 5 feet, and has fangs up to 2 inches long, destroys the blood’s ability to clot, and causes severe muscle and nerve damage. Unless striking, they tend to be considerably slow-moving. More impressive than its length, though, is its girth. Gaboon vipers also have the longest fangs of any venomous snakes. They are the heaviest of snakes for their length. A well-camouflaged Gaboon viper coils on the forest floor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Términos y Condiciones de usoPolítica de Privacidad (Actualizada)Política de CookiesGestión del consentimientoGestión de cookies. Even an average bite from an average-sized specimen is potentially fatal. The L.A. imply envenomation as the Gaboon Viper is known to bite without injecting venom into the victim. These snakes are slow-moving, nocturnal, and difficult to spot amid leaf litter. The Gaboon viper’s status is unavailable through the IUCN. One of the subspecies, B. g. rhinoceros, has significantly larger horns. A single adult male Gaboon viper has enough venom in its stores to inject lethal doses of venom to 30 adults. A Gaboon viper will lie perfectly still on the forest floor, camouflaged beneath the leaf litter. Victims who live may require an amputation. Their bodies have a symmetrical, geometric pattern of white, brown, tan and even purple colors. The rhinoceros viper, at home in the forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, takes its name from the enlarged scales on its snout, which resemble horns. Sometimes its victims will unknowingly walk right on top of the snake, not realizing their mistake until it is too late. the review. For these reasons, Gaboon viper bites are rare; however, when they bite it is often fatal. The LD50 is somewhere between 14 and 15 mg/kg and the maximum venom yeild is 200 mg. These vipers have broad, triangular shaped heads and proportionately thick bodies. This solitary snake is easily recognizable (though often hard to spot) due to its beautiful, symmetrical pattern along its body. Fang marks may be present Yet the number of human fatalities caused by these reptiles is lower than one would expect. The Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens is owned, operated, and maintained by the City of Los Angeles. These snakes have enormous venom glands which produces the lethal amount of venom. Advance reservations required. However, the absence of fang marks does not necessarily preclude the possibility of a bite, nor does it give any indication of the severity of the bite. Gaboon Vipers are considered to produce the most venom out of all the venomous snakes; a single adult has enough venom to inject lethal doses into 30 individual men. The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the official support arm of the Zoo. They are known to have enormous venom glands, and each bite produces the most quantity of venom of any venomous snake in the world. When threatened, they will initially hold very still and produce a loud, hissing sound as a warning. Their fangs can be 2 inches (5 centimeters) long, making them the longest fangs of any venomous snake. Most bites occur out in the jungle where the access to antivenin may be poor.

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