Puff adder
The puff adder is a large, stout viper that lives across most of Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. It is one of the most dangerous snakes in Africa because it lives in places where many people live and work, and it has very potent venom. Its camouflage hides it well, so it is easy to step near without seeing it.1

Sådan genkender du det
- Stout, heavy body. Usually about 1.0 m long including the tail.1
- Two dark bands across the top of the head, and two dark bars running from each eye down the sides of the head.1
- Back is straw yellow, light brown, orange or reddish brown, with 18–22 dark brown to black chevron-shaped bands running down the back and tail.1
- In some populations, the body is heavily flecked with brown and black, giving a dusty-brown or blackish look.1
- Males from highland East Africa and the Western Cape of South Africa often have a striking yellow-and-black pattern.1
Giftkraft
Giften kommer ud gennem gifttænderne eller tænderne, når det bider.
Hvad gør dets gift, når det bider eller stikker?
Its venom is cytotoxic, which means it destroys body tissue. Bites cause severe pain, swelling, bleeding under the skin and, in serious cases, tissue death that can spread and lead to gangrene. Other symptoms include shock, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and periods of semi-consciousness. Death can occur in about 25 hours from a dose of around 100 mg, and deaths usually come 2–4 days after a bite from complications.1
Hvor farligt er det for mennesker?
Fare for mennesker: DødeligEt af de farligste dyr i verden.It is responsible for more snakebite deaths in Africa than any other African snake. This is due to its wide range, common presence near people, large size, potent venom and aggressive temperament. Deaths are uncommon in untreated cases, but severe bites can be fatal, with one report giving a 52% mortality rate. Most deaths are linked to poor medical care.1
Hvad gør det, når det er bange?
When disturbed, it hisses loudly and continuously, coils tightly with the front of its body in a taut S shape, and may back away towards cover before striking suddenly and fast.1
Hvis det bider
- 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?
Hvor tungt er det?
lige så lang som 4 huskatte fra snude til hale
lige så lang som 11 bananer på række
cirka lige så tung som en huskat
kunne løbe 100 meter på 97 sekunder (det hurtigste menneske skal bruge 9,6)Hvor stor er Puff adder i forhold til DIG?
Bare matematik i din browser. Intet bliver gemt eller sendt nogen steder hen.
Hvor hurtigt er det?
Fakta
A female in a Czech zoo gave birth to 156 young, the largest litter recorded for any snake species.1
Its fangs are long and can penetrate deeply, and the force of its strike can kill prey by physical trauma alone.1
A large adult can produce between 150 and 350 mg of venom at a time, with a maximum of 750 mg.1
Dogs and meerkats, which hunt by scent, find it hard to detect because of a form of olfactory crypsis, meaning it hides its scent.1
It is one of the most toxic vipers based on LD50 (the dose that kills half of test animals in a study).1
It is a good swimmer and climber, and one specimen was found 4.6 m above the ground in a dense tree.1
Myteknuser
Myte: Puff adders are fast, aggressive snakes that chase people.
Sandhed: They are normally sluggish and rely on camouflage for protection. They strike when disturbed, but they do not usually pursue people.1
Hvor fakta kommer fra
- Puff adder (Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0))
- Bitis arietans (iNaturalist): navne og klassifikation.
- 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.
Bid

