Viper Hunting in Africa

The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica), also known as the West African Gaboon viper, butterfly adder, and the forest adder, is a highly venomous snake found in sub-Saharan Africa. Its status is listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN, with numbers decreasing, but is still a target on game hunting safaris throughout the African continent.

The Gaboon viper is widely distributed across Central, East, and West Africa, with habitats including rainforests, tropical savannas, tropical moist forests, grasslands, flooded grasslands, and mangroves.  

It is generally a slow-moving, solitary, and placid snake that is unlikely to strike unless annoyed. However, once provoked, it will bite, using the longest fangs of any venomous snake worldwide. They can measure up to 2 inches in length! Unfortunately for their prey, they are also one of the fastest-striking snakes worldwide.

They feast on birds, rats, mice, rabbits, and hares.

Breeding season is from September to December, with the female giving birth to live snakelets late in the summer. At 11 inches in size, these snakelets are fully developed and independent.