Puff Adder | The Photographic Journey of bulldog.

Any where from below the equator in Africa, you can find the Puff Adder. A deadly snake that can reach 1.2 m or 4 ft. long, a body girth of 30 cm or a ft. and fangs the size of sewing needles just a lot thicker.

It will lie quietly next to a pathway and when you virtually stand on it, bite you on the ankle… not that it was waiting for you, it was waiting for its prey. Will it get out of your way? No.

This species is responsible for more fatalities than any other African snake. This is due to a combination of factors, including its wide distribution, common occurrence, large size, potent venom that is produced in large amounts, long fangs, their habit of basking by footpaths and sitting quietly when approached.

The venom has cytotoxic effects and is one of the most toxic of any vipers. Cytotoxic, kills cells. Venom yield is typically between 100–350 mg, with a maximum of 750 mg. About 100 mg is thought to be enough to kill a healthy adult human male, with death occurring after 25 hours. A painful death I’m told…

So my recommendation is … stay away from the blunt end of this footless killer… I have caught many and relocated them, but I have probably killed just as many for frightening the becheeeezes out of me…

At the show….

Well camouflaged in the grass….

But I thought I’d show you some captures I’d made before of one I could get up close to…

Angry looking snake… she is talking to me … “Come closer, I want to bite you Bulldog” I was very close, but because of the way she lay on the tarmac she could not have struck at me without first moving her head and coiling her body… How do I know she is a she?? The female has a shorter tail than the male…

African puff adders (Bitis arietans).

Bitis arietans is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands. It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution and frequent occurrence in highly populated regions.

The venom has cytotoxic effects and is one of the most toxic of any viper. The venom yield is typically between 100–350 mg, with a maximum of 750 mg. About 100 mg is believed to be enough to kill a healthy adult, with death occurring after 25 hours.

An ugly snake to be avoided in the bush as he will not move away like most snakes, but will strike with deadly force and cause a very sore painful bite.

When I was an learner Land Surveyor, involved in a job at Victoria Falls in Rhodesia I came across one of the biggest Puffies I’d ever seen. Thinking it dead, I poked it with a survey rod and it struck immediately, not being the conservationist I am now, I killed it. That evening we all met at the Peters Motel for drinks, it had the biggest pub in the area (at least 20m long, 60 foot), I took my now dead snake with me, the pub was full of tourists and locals and on entering tossed it on the pub counter. 30 seconds later the pub was empty, the two barmen had exited via the dirty glass opening (smashing 100s of glasses) and I stood laughing my head off…. some how the Manager/Owner was not amused and banned me for life… I took Linda there many years later… he remembered me, but after explaining I’d settle down and was no longer “bush happy” he forgave me… I’m still sure he loaded my bill that day… here’s some photos of one I found the other day… he refused to go into the strike pose which is very strikingly (no pun intended) beautiful….probably too cold…