No. 0321 / 1 402

Gaboon viper

Bitis gabonica

名前について： 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

命をうばうこともある治療しないと命にかかわる。かまれたら、急いで助けを呼ぼう。

クサリヘビのなかま

かむ食べもの：肉

人への危険: とても危険治療を受けないと、人の命をうばうことがある。

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

すんでいる場所

Rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea and Ghana east to Kenya and northeast KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa1

アフリカ

ホーム

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

長さ

1.2 mから1.8 m (4.1 ftから5.7 ft)1

体重

8.5 kgから11 kg (19 lbから25 lb)1

最高速度

時速約4 km（時速2.5マイル）

陸で, おおまかな予想

何を食べるの？

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

Gaboon viperの写真 — Gaboon viper。写真：Nick Schaller。 CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist.

見分け方

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

よくまちがえられるのは： 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

毒パワー

かむ

かむときに、毒が牙や歯から出るよ。

その毒（かむ・刺す毒）はどうなるの？

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

人にとってどれくらい危険？

人への危険: とても危険治療を受けないと、人の命をうばうことがある。

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

いい知らせ：お医者さんには、これに効く薬（抗毒素）か治療法があるよ。1

こわいとき、どうするの？

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

かまれたら

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
その人をじっとさせて落ちつかせ、かまれた手足を心臓と同じ高さにして、指輪やきついものをはずし、急いで病院へ。

まず必ず救急番号（112、000、911）に電話しよう。これは一般的な応急手当の案内で、医療のアドバイスではないよ。応急手当の基本

安全に過ごそう

野生の動物には、小さくても、ねているように見えても、死んでいるように見えても、ぜったいにさわったり、つかまえたり、からかったりしないこと。
近づかないで。出会ったら落ちついて、ゆっくりあとずさりして、そのまま行かせてあげよう。
かまれたら：落ちついて、じっとして、救急番号（112、000、911）に電話するか、急いで病院へ行こう。見た目をおぼえておいてね。写真があると役に立つよ。

きみをねらっているわけじゃないよ。毒はエサをとったり身を守ったりするために使うだけで、本当はかくれていたいんだ。安全に過ごすためにもっと知ろう

世界のどこ？

アフリカアジアヨーロッパ北アメリカ南アメリカオーストラリアとオセアニア

どれくらい大きい？

どれくらい長い？

どれくらい重い？

飼いネコ3匹分の重さ

飼いネコ4匹を鼻からしっぽまでならべた長さバナナ10本をたてにならべた長さ100 mを90秒で走れる（いちばん速い人間は9.6秒）

Gaboon viperは、きみとくらべてどれくらい大きい？

ブラウザで計算しているだけ。何も保存されないし、どこにも送られないよ。

どれくらい速い？

リクガメ 時速約0.3 km (0.19 mph)

Gaboon viper 時速約4 km (2.5 mph)

歩いている人 時速約5 km (3.1 mph)

知っておく価値あり

データ

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

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

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

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

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

うそ・ほんとう

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

ほんとう： 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

毒のエキスパート向け

学名: Bitis gabonica
グループ: クサリヘビのなかま
家族: Viperidae2
ならびかえ: Squamata
大陸: アフリカ
赤ちゃん: The young are born live, and a female can have 50 to 60 babies at one time.1
人への危険: 4 / 5: とても危険3