Did you know
vipers use camouflage and a deadly amount of venom to kill their prey? There
bodies match their environment making it hard to spot them. Their fangs are
specially designed to inject venom into its prey. They quickly strike their
prey in all directions. The gaboon viper in particular is an important part of
the viper family because of its size and colorations. Vipers are respected
creatures with power because they are feared, are the most evolved snakes, and
can kill with a single bite.

The Latin name for
vipers is Viperidae. Vipers are one of the most evolved snakes because of their
long extending fangs. There are 187 different species of vipers with 17 sub
groups. An average life of a viper is about twelve years minimum. There are two
types of vipers; pit vipers and true vipers. Pit vipers are the most
distributed sub family of vipers. Pit vipers have hollow pits underneath their
nose, which they use as a heat seeking organ that helps them identify their
surroundings and prey. True vipers do not possess this heat sensitive organ.
Pit vipers are wildly distributed throughout North and South America, while
true vipers are distributed throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. Pit vipers are
the most recognized snake by the famous snake called the rattle snake.

 Vipers live everywhere except the ocean.
Vipers can be found in mountainous regions, deserts, tropical and regular
forests, plains, swamps, lakes, and streams. Most vipers give birth to fully
developed young. These vipers tend to live in cool climates and watery areas
because the eggs wouldn’t be warm enough to hatch. Vipers can also lay eggs;
the viper will coil around the eggs to help incubate them. Most vipers are
short with heavy bodies that grow between two or three feet in length with many
small overlapping scales. They have a triangular head and cat-like eyes with no
eye lids. Vipers have a wide range of colors many from green to brown to black
with dark blotches on it. A viper, like all snakes, will shed its skin in a
process called sloughing. Vipers have a wide range of colors which vary from
green to brown to black with dark blotches on their skin.

Vipers have a very
efficient way of hunting. These carnivorous reptiles eat small animals up to
the size of a rabbit. The viper uses their large hollow fangs to inject venom
into there prey. Their fangs are covered with a protective sheath of skin,
which protects the snake while the fangs are not in use. The fangs slide out of
the sheath and swing forward to attack the prey and deliver a usually lethal
dose of venom. The venom is produced in special glands beneath the eyes. The
venom not only kills the prey, but it also helps break the food down, making it
easier to digest. In addition, the Gaboon viper has a very effective way of
hunting for its prey: it likes to lie and wait in camouflage for its prey to
come along so it can strike.

The Gaboon viper
is one of the biggest vipers in the tropics of Africa. The Gaboon viper can
reach up to 7 feet long and weigh up to 10 kg. The Gaboon viper has a large
flat head that can be up to 5 inches long that looks like a leaf. With large
fangs that can reach up to 2 inchs The Gaboon viper is exclusive to parts of
East and West Africa of the giant viper group. The Gaboon viper’s scientific
name is Bitis Gabonica. Bitis Gabonica will remain motionless on the forest
floorer waiting to strike in all directions at its prey. Bitis Gabonica will
let out a loud hissing noise to alert tell any predators to back off. It will
latch onto its prey and not let go and will continue to pump venom into its
prey. Bitis Gobonica can eat large mammals like rabbits, monkeys, birds, and
many more.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

B,
Dexter. "Keeping Gaboon 
Vipers." VenomousReptiles.Org. 2002. 9 May 2008
. 

Greer,
Dr. Allen E., ed. Reptiles. San Francisco: Time-Life Books, 1996. 

Mattison,
Chris. Snakes of the World. New York: Facts on File, 1992. 

"Viper."
1-2. EBSCO Animals. EBSCO. Alexander Library, Prides Crossing. 2 May
2008. 

"Viper."
The World Book Encyclopedia. 22 vols. Chicago: World Book, Inc,
2009. 

I saw a very large specimen at the philadelphia zoo a few years back. Big, beautiful and deadly.

I saw a couple of these guys at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, MO.  They weren't doing anything but basking but still looked very cool and intriguing.  They just look like they're 100% muscle.  SO THICK.  haha.

ya i want one pritty badly but i know i wont be able to take care of it right

I had a male and a female gaboon when I had my venomous permit, but got rid of them and never re-instated my permit, so now, I only have non-venomous. They were the by far one of the coolest reptiles I have ever owned.

I will never own a Gaboon Viper but man those are beautiful snakes.  They deserve much respect.  I've watched Viperkeeper on Youtube and been able to see his collection via his videos.  All I can say is "Wow!".

DID YOU SEE THETV SERIES FATAL ATTRACTIONS. A LADY OWNED A GABBON VIPER AND SHE WAS BITTEN AND SHE BLEED FROM EVERY HOLE IN HER BODY AND DIED. SORRY FOR CAPS

some Vipers like Cerastes cerastes or horned viper i think that's the right viper?
can have live babies or lay eggs,
i do believe this is a fairly recent discovery...

I agree, they are beautiful snakes.  I would never own one but I get my fix when I need to by watching them in videos on youtube.  Viperkeeper has a great collection.  I love his mambas.  I love how he works with his snakes it's amazing to me.