Unveiling the enigmatic Gaboon Viper:

Physical Description

The Gaboon vipers' coloration is a combination of light and dark brown, pink and purple arranged in diamonds and stripes along its back. Light and dark lines radiate from around its small eyes.

It has a short tail, and its broad head mimics a fallen leaf, right down to the central vein. This striking pattern is excellent camouflage in the snake's native habitat, helping it blend into the leaf litter on the forest floor.

Size

Gaboon vipers are the largest vipers in Africa, weighing more than 45 pounds (20 kilograms) and reaching lengths of more than 6 feet (1.8 meters). The largest individuals have heads nearly 6 inches (15 centimeters) across at their widest point.

Western Gaboon Viper - Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Native Habitat

These vipers live in rainforests and wet areas in parts of Central, East and West Africa. They are terrestrial and can be found on the forest floor.

Lifespan

Gaboon vipers live for about 20 years.

Gaboon viper | Venomous, Africa, Rainforest | Britannica

Food/Eating Habits

They eat small and medium-sized mammals and birds. Gaboon vipers are passive hunters, waiting concealed to strike at whatever small creatures pass within range. Most snakes strike and release, but this viper holds on until its prey dies.

Gaboon vipers have a placid nature and very rarely bite humans. Most bites occur when the snake is stepped on before it has an opportunity to get away. If harassed, it will raise the upper part of its body and hiss in threat before actually striking.

In addition to its unwillingness to bite, the viper can control whether it injects venom and how much, so the result of a strike can range from no effect to rapid death. A hungry snake will strike at almost any sideways movement, so some bites might well be a result of mistaken identity.

At the Smithsonian's National Zoo, Gaboon vipers eat mice and rats.

West African Gaboon Viper : r/VenomousKeepers

In these unfortunate situations, the consequences can fatal if anti-venom is not obtained. Notably, this viper possesses the unique ability to hold onto its prey after biting, allowing for the injection of larger quantities of venom into the bloodstream.

As mentioned, the Gaboon viper is naturally found only in Africa. However, that hasn’t stopped some Americans from keeping them as pets in their homes.

Due to its status as the largest viper in the world and its striking appearance, the Gaboon viper attracts snake enthusiasts who are eager to have one as a pet. However, sometimes this choice can have disastrous consequences – and that’s precisely what happened in Virginia in 2022.

A Surprising Strike | Wild View

According to reports, a man that was keeping the deadly snake as a pet got bitten. Police were called to the scene, and the man was swiftly transported to Richmond Hospital and admitted to the emergency room in a race against time to save his life.The situation was complicated by the fact that the VCU Medical Center had exhausted its supply of anti-venom, which had been provided by the Smithsonian National Zoo. However, in a commendable effort, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach contributed an additional 35 bottles of anti-venom to assist in the treatment.

It appears that 2022 was an unfortunate year for Gaboon owners – because just a few months prior to the Virginia incident, there were reports of a Gaboon Viper biting a man in North Carolina. The man required 44 vials of anti-venom and tragically lost several fingers in the process.