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Tegning af Gaboon viper
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Gaboon viper

Bitis gabonica
Om navnet: 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 dræbeKan slå dig ihjel uden behandling. Hvis det bider dig, så få hurtigt hjælp.
Hugorme & ottere BidSpiser: Kød
Fare for mennesker: Meget farligDet kan dræbe et menneske, der ikke får behandling.

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

Lever i
Rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea and Ghana east to Kenya and northeast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa1
Afrika
Forside
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
Længde
1,2 m til 1,8 m (4,1 ft til 5,7 ft)1
Vægt
8,5 kg til 11 kg (19 lb til 25 lb)1
Tophastighed
cirka 4 km/t (2,5 mph)
På land, groft gæt
Hvad spiser det?
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
Helt ærligt!Foto af Gaboon viper
Gaboon viper. Foto: Nick Schaller. CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

Sådan genkender du det

  • 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

Forveksles ofte med: 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

Giftkraft

Bid

Giften kommer ud gennem gifttænderne eller tænderne, når det bider.

Hvad gør dets gift, når det bider eller stikker?

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

Hvor farligt er det for mennesker?

Fare for mennesker: Meget farligDet kan dræbe et menneske, der ikke får behandling.

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

Gode nyheder: Lægerne har en medicin (modgift) eller en behandling mod det.1

Hvad gør det, når det er bange?

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

Hvis det bider

  • 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
  • Hold personen i ro og rolig, hold den bidte arm eller det bidte ben i hjertehøjde, tag ringe og stramme ting af, og kom hurtigt på hospitalet.

Ring altid først til dit alarmnummer (112, 000, 911). Dette er generel førstehjælpsvejledning, ikke lægelig rådgivning. Grundlæggende førstehjælp

Pas på dig selv

  • Rør aldrig ved, fang eller dril et vildt dyr, heller ikke et lille et, og heller ikke hvis det ser ud til at sove eller være dødt.
  • Giv det plads. Hvis du møder et, så bliv rolig, træd langsomt tilbage, og lad det gå sin egen vej.
  • Hvis et bider dig: Bevar roen, hold dig i ro, ring til dit alarmnummer (112, 000, 911), eller kom hurtigt på hospitalet. Husk, hvordan det så ud, et billede hjælper.

Det er ikke ude efter dig. Det bruger sin gift til at fange føde eller beskytte sig selv, og det gemmer sig meget hellere. Mere om sikkerhed

Hvor stort er det?

Hvor langt er det?

Gaboon viper cirka 1,8 m lang (5,7 ft)En voksen cirka 1,7 m (5,6 ft)En voksencykel cirka 1,8 m (5,9 ft)

Hvor tungt er det?

lige så tung som 3 huskatte
lige så lang som 4 huskatte fra snude til halelige så lang som 10 bananer på rækkekunne løbe 100 meter på 90 sekunder (det hurtigste menneske skal bruge 9,6)

Hvor stor er Gaboon viper i forhold til DIG?

Bare matematik i din browser. Intet bliver gemt eller sendt nogen steder hen.

Hvor hurtigt er det?

værd at vide

Fakta

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

Myteknuser

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

Sandhed: 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

For gifteksperter

Videnskabeligt navn
Bitis gabonica
Gruppe
Hugorme & ottere
Familie
Viperidae2
Orden
Squamata
Kontinenter
Afrika
Unger
The young are born live, and a female can have 50 to 60 babies at one time.1
Fare for mennesker
4 / 5: Meget farlig3

Hvor fakta kommer fra

  1. Gaboon viper (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
  2. Bitis gabonica (iNaturalist): navne og klassifikation.
  3. Venom Wiki: fareniveauet, den typiske størrelse og hastighedsgættet er vores egne. Se, hvordan vi regner dem ud: Sådan vurderer vi faren.

Hvert faktum på denne side har et nummer, der peger på kilden. Hvis vi har taget fejl, så undskyld, vi er dyrefans, ikke et videnskabeligt tidsskrift. Skriv til os på [email protected], så retter vi det.

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Lever også i: Afrika

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