Venom Wiki
Spotprent van Gaboon viper
Nr. 0321 van 1 402

Gaboon viper

Bitis gabonica
Oor die naam: The name 'Gaboon' comes from Gabon, a name first given by the Portuguese to an estuary on which the town of Libreville was built.1
Kan doodmaakKan jou doodmaak sonder behandeling. As dit jou byt, kry vinnig hulp.
Adders & vipers ByteEet: Vleis
Gevaar vir mense: Baie gevaarlikDit kan 'n mens doodmaak wat geen behandeling kry nie.

The Gaboon viper is a large, heavy snake with a striking pattern of pale and dark markings. It lives in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of the most venomous snakes in the world, so knowing what it looks like matters.1

Leef in
Rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea and Ghana east to Kenya and northeast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa1
Afrika
Tuis
It is usually found in rainforests and nearby woodlands, mainly at low altitudes. It is also common in farmland near forests, such as cacao and coffee plantations, and it is often found on roads at night.1
Lengte
1,2 m tot 1,8 m (4,1 ft tot 5,7 ft)1
Gewig
8,5 kg tot 11 kg (19 lb tot 25 lb)1
Topspoed
omtrent 4 km/h (2,5 mph)
Op land, rowwe skatting
Wat eet dit?
It hunts mainly by ambush, waiting motionless for prey to pass. It eats amphibians, mammals and birds, and it is able to take prey as large as fully grown rabbits. Once it strikes, it holds on to its prey with its fangs rather than letting go.1
Regtig waar!Foto van Gaboon viper
Gaboon viper. Foto: Nick Schaller. CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

Hoe om dit te herken

  • A large, heavy, stout body, with a large triangular head and a neck much narrower than the head1
  • A series of pale, rectangular blotches down the centre of the back, with dark hourglass markings edged in yellow1
  • A white or cream head with a fine dark central line and a dark blue-black triangle behind and below each eye1
  • Small raised 'horns' between the nostrils, which are tiny in this species1
  • Its camouflage works well among dead leaves under trees, so it can be hard to see1

Word dikwels verwar met: The Congolese giant toad (Sclerophrys channingi) may be a mimic of this snake. Its head appears to resemble the viper's head, while its body is darker.1

Gifkrag

Byte

Gif kom deur sy giftande of tande uit wanneer dit byt.

Wat doen sy gif as dit byt of steek?

The venom is cytotoxic, which means it damages cells, and cardiotoxic, which means it harms the heart. Each bite can deliver a large amount of venom, because the snake does not release its grip after biting.1

Hoe gevaarlik is dit vir mense?

Gevaar vir mense: Baie gevaarlikDit kan 'n mens doodmaak wat geen behandeling kry nie.

Bites are extremely rare, because the snake is seldom aggressive and lives mostly in rainforest areas. Most bites happen when people accidentally step on it. Even an average bite from an average-sized snake is potentially fatal.1

Goeie nuus: dokters het 'n medisyne (teengif) of 'n behandeling hiervoor.1

Wat doen dit as dit bang is?

When threatened it hisses loudly in a deep, steady rhythm and flattens its head slightly with each breath. It is unlikely to strike unless it is severely provoked.1

As dit byt

  • Any bite should be treated as a serious medical emergency. Antivenom should be given as soon as possible to save the limb or the person's life.1
  • Hou die persoon stil en kalm, hou die gebyte arm of been op hartvlak, haal ringe en stywe goed af, en kom vinnig by 'n hospitaal uit.

Bel altyd eers jou noodnommer (112, 000, 911). Dit is algemene noodhulpraad, nie mediese advies nie. Noodhulp-basiese beginsels

Bly veilig

  • Moet nooit aan 'n wilde dier raak, dit vang of terg nie, selfs nie 'n kleintjie nie, en selfs nie as dit lyk of dit slaap of dood is nie.
  • Gee dit spasie. As jy een raakloop, bly kalm, stap stadig terug en laat dit sy eie pad gaan.
  • As een jou byt: bly kalm, bly stil, bel jou noodnommer (112, 000, 911) of kom vinnig by 'n hospitaal uit. Onthou hoe dit gelyk het, 'n foto help.

Dit is nie uit om jou te kry nie. Dit gebruik sy gif om kos te vang of om homself te beskerm, en kruip baie eerder weg. Meer oor veilig bly

Hoe groot is dit?

Hoe lank is dit?

Gaboon viper omtrent 1,8 m lank (5,7 ft)'n Grootmens omtrent 1,7 m (5,6 ft)'n Grootmens se fiets omtrent 1,8 m (5,9 ft)

Hoe swaar is dit?

so swaar soos 3 huiskatte
so lank soos 4 huiskatte neus tot stertso lank soos 10 piesangs punt aan puntkan 100 meter in 90 sekondes aflê (die vinnigste mens het 9,6 nodig)

Hoe groot is Gaboon viper in vergelyking met JOU?

Net wiskunde in jou blaaier. Niks word gestoor of enige plek heen gestuur nie.

Hoe vinnig is dit?

die moeite werd om te weet

Feite

1

A 1.8 m specimen caught in 1973 weighed 11.3 kg with an empty stomach. It is the heaviest venomous snake in Africa.1

2

Its eyes can move in unusual ways. If its head is turned 360°, one eye tilts up and the other tilts down.1

3

Although it is one of the fastest-striking snakes in the world, it usually tolerates handling and rarely bites or hisses.1

4

Unlike many African vipers, such as the puff adder, it does not release its grip after biting.1

5

Males fight by intertwining their necks and pushing. The winner pushes the other's head to the ground and raises his own head by 20–30 cm.1

Mite-breker

Mite: Because it is calm and tolerant, it is safe to handle.

Waarheid: Some writers have described it as so docile it can be handled as freely as a harmless snake. This is absolutely not recommended: it is one of the fastest-striking snakes, and bites by bad-tempered individuals do occur.1

Vir gifkenners

Wetenskaplike naam
Bitis gabonica
Groep
Adders & vipers
Familie
Viperidae2
Orde
Squamata
Kontinente
Afrika
Babas
The young are born live, and a female can have 50 to 60 babies at one time.1
Gevaar vir mense
4 / 5: Baie gevaarlik3

Waar die feite vandaan kom

  1. Gaboon viper (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
  2. Bitis gabonica (iNaturalist): name en klassifikasie.
  3. Venom Wiki: die gevaarvlak, die tipiese grootte en die spoedskatting is ons eie. Kyk hoe ons dit uitwerk: Hoe ons gevaar gradeer.

Elke feit op hierdie bladsy het 'n nommer wat na sy bron wys. As ons iets verkeerd het, jammer, ons is dierfanatici, nie 'n wetenskaplike joernaal nie. Laat weet ons by [email protected] en ons maak dit reg.

Die skerpioen is honger! Venom Wiki is 'n eenmanprojek: gratis, sonder advertensies en sonder spoorsnyers. 'n Klein fooitjie help om dit aanlyn te hou.Voer die skerpioen

Meer uit dieselfde groep: Adders & vipers

Leef ook in: Afrika

Voer die skerpioenfooitjiepot, hou dit gratis