Gaboon Viper: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Snakes · day 4 of 7

Five facts

1. No venomous snake has longer fangs than the Gaboon viper: they can reach about 5 cm.
2. Out in the open its pattern stands out, but on a carpet of dead leaves under trees it almost vanishes.
3. Its eyes swivel further than any other snake's. When one eye points forward, the other points backward.
4. Big and heavy, an adult can easily swallow a fully grown rabbit. After biting, it holds on instead of letting go.
5. One mother can give birth to 50 to 60 young at once, and they are born live rather than hatching from eggs.

The quiz

1. How long can a Gaboon viper's fangs be?

• About 1 cm
• About 5 cm (correct)
• About 15 cm
• About 30 cm

Its fangs, the longest of any venomous snake, can reach about 5 cm.

2. Where does the Gaboon viper's pattern work as camouflage?

• On bare red sand
• On white rocks
• Among dead leaves under trees (correct)
• In open grassland

On dead leaves under trees, its pattern hides it very well.

3. What is unusual about the Gaboon viper's eyes?

• They cannot move at all
• They glow at night
• They blink every second
• A wider range of movement than other snakes (correct)

Its eyes can move further than those of other snakes.

4. How large a meal can an adult Gaboon viper eat?

• Only tiny insects
• Fully grown rabbits (correct)
• Small lizards only
• Adult deer

Its big, heavy body lets an adult swallow a fully grown rabbit.

5. How many babies can a female Gaboon viper have at a time?

• 50 to 60 (correct)
• 5 to 6
• 10 to 12
• 500 to 600

A single birth can bring 50 to 60 live young.

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