Puff Adder

Fascinating facts about the Puff Adder

• The puff adder is responsible for the most snakebite fatalities in Africa because it combines a very wide distribution with frequent encounters in densely populated areas and an aggressive disposition. Its large size and long fangs allow it to inject a great volume of potent venom, and it often basks on footpaths where people walk.
• Female puff adders can produce exceptionally large litters, with reports of over 80 young and typical broods of 50-60 offspring. The record comes from a Kenyan female in a Czech zoo that gave birth to 156 neonates, the highest litter ever recorded for any snake species. Very large specimens, especially those from East Africa, are noted for delivering the greatest numbers of offspring, highlighting the species' prolific reproductive capacity.
• A puff adder's bite can contain up to 750 mg of venom, far above the roughly 100 mg estimated to be lethal for a healthy adult man. Typical venom yields per strike range from 150 mg to 350 mg, providing enough toxin to cause severe local and systemic effects. This large venom volume, combined with the snake's long fangs, contributes to its reputation as the deadliest African viper.
• When provoked, a puff adder can extend its strike to roughly one-third of its total length, delivering a rapid, side-or forward thrust. Juvenile snakes are even more dramatic, propelling their entire bodies forward in a single lunge. The impact is so forceful that the long fangs often kill prey through trauma alone, before any venom takes effect. This combination of reach and power makes its defensive strike exceptionally effective.
• Although the puff adder is primarily a ground-dwelling snake, it is also an adept swimmer and can climb with ease, often seen basking in low bushes. Its climbing skill is highlighted by a recorded individual that was discovered 4.6 metres above the ground in a densely branched tree. This behaviour shows the species can exploit vertical habitats when the opportunity arises, despite its mainly terrestrial nature.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

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