puff adder

Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The Himalayan pit viper has been found at an altitude of 5,000 metres (16,000 feet).…. Juveniles feed on small rodents, insects, and small frogs. In a South African study (Blaylock, 2003) the consequences of a number of snake bites were reported. The common adder eats frogs, young birds, and small mammals. At the same time, they may attempt to back away from the threat towards cover. These snakes rarely grip their victims, instead releasing quickly to return to the striking position. The puff adder is a large and strong snake, but despite its size, it is capable of striking with lightning speed. The European common adder, or European viper (V. berus), a serpent often mentioned in works of literature, is a stout-bodied snake that is widely distributed across Europe and Asia. Newborns are 12.5-17.5 cm in length; they are completely independent at birth and are ready to care for themselves. Among the adders of the viper family are the European common adder (Vipera berus), the puff adders (9 or 10 species of Bitis, including B. arietans), and the night adders (four species of Causus). Puff adders are viviparous and females give birth to 50-60 live young after the gestation period that lasts 136-159 days. Links: Cobra. Young Puff adders prey on various insects and also can play a useful role for farmers. The puff adder is a large and strong snake, but despite its size, it is capable of striking with lightning speed. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. They can strike to a distance of about one-third of their body length, but juveniles will launch their entire bodies forwards in the process. Puff adders are normally sluggish and rely on camouflage for protection. Read about the privacy policy of this website. Young Puff adders usually become reproductively mature when they are 4 years old. They also form 2-6 light and dark cross-bands on the tail. The puff adder is the common name for the Bitis Arietans, and it is one of the most common and widely spread snakes in Africa. Their head has two well-marked dark bands: one on the crown and the other between the eyes. This article was most recently revised and updated by, adder - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Adder - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 159-166 (2004) YOUNG, B. It can be found in grasslands and savanna all over Africa, except for the rainforests and Sahara regions. The snake's common names include Gaboon viper, butterfly adder, forest puff adder, whisper, swampjack, and Gaboon adder. The desert death adder (A. pyrrhus) is found only in arid areas of Australia. The color pattern of Puff adders varies geographically. It even ranges north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. They are live-bearers, giving birth to perhaps as many as 10 to 30 young. During this time females produce a pheromone to attract males, which engage in neck-wrestling combat dances. Among the venomous snake bites, five bites were proven puff adder bites. A study by Bruce A. Below, the head is yellowish-white with scattered dark blotches. One specimen even was found 4.6 m above the ground in a densely branched tree. If disturbed, these snakes will hiss loudly and continuously, adopting a tightly coiled defensive posture with the forepart of their body held in a taut "S" shape. Blaylock, R. "Epidemiology of snakebite in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa" Toxicon 43 pp. The most common types of antivenom and how it is produced and used. Puff adders are found in most of sub-Saharan Africa south to the Cape of Good Hope, including southern Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, southern Algeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Cameroon, Central African Republic, northern, eastern and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. A. In the United States, puff adder bites only occur from puff adders held in captivity by reptile enthusiasts and zoo employees. …or altitudes is limited, the adder has been found at 3,300 metres (10,000 feet) in the Swiss Alps and as far north as the Arctic Circle. The patient, an 11-year–old boy, did not receive antivenom, as it was not considered appropriate in his particular case. Read about people who has survived snake bites and see how bites affected them. The puff adder is a typical ambusher. "How a heavy-bodied snake strikes quickly: high-power axial musculature in the puff adder (Bitis arietans)" J Exp Zool A Ecol Genet Physiol. The Puff Adder is widespread over much of South Africa and elsewhere further north into Africa. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. On the sides of the head, there are two oblique dark bands or bars that run from the eye to the supralabials. The boy had abnormally high blood pressure at the time of admission to the hospital and died four days after the bite despite several blood transfusions. Death adders are dangerous snakes that produce a potent venom that causes death in about one-half of untreated cases. While their taxonomy is uncertain, death adders from New Guinea have been assigned to three species (A. praelongus, A. laevis, and A. rugosus). Puff adder. These snakes also occur on the Arabian peninsula, where they are found in southwestern Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is a heavy-bodied snake that relies on its excellent camouflage and is reluctant to move. Night adders (Causus) are small relatively slender vipers found south of the Sahara and are typically less than 1 metre (3 feet) long. It sits and waits until a prey animal is close enough and then strikes. They are most often associated with savannahs and rocky grasslands. Despite all of this, fatalities from the puff adder are relatively rare, and definitely less than approximately 5% of all bites, as most surveys indicate that the overall death rate of snake bites in Africa is well below 2%. When it bites, it releases the prey immediately and lets the prey escape. Copyright ©www.venomoussnakes.net All rights reserved. Young from 2009 showed that the puff adder is much faster than smaller snakes. Puff adders are carnivores. Their mating season usually takes place between October and December. Although death adders (Acanthophis) are related to the slender-bodied cobras, they are viperlike in appearance, with thick bodies, short tails, and broad heads. It then tracks the prey down that is gradually weakened because of the venom. They have also been reported to be found in the Dhofar region of southern Oman. Like all other snakes, the puff adder cannot hear, but its jaw can feel vibrations, and it's Jacobsen’s organ can analyze inputs from its tongue. The puff adder (B. arietans and others) is a large extremely venomous snake found in the semiarid regions of Africa and Arabia. There are no major threats to Puff adders at present. [2] [7] Originally a name given by the Portuguese , Gabon ( Gabão ) refers to the estuary on which the town of Libreville was built, in Gabon , and to a narrow strip of territory on either bank of this arm of the sea. Some populations are heavily flecked with brown and black, often obscuring other coloration, giving the animal a dusty-brown or blackish appearance. It is so named because it gives warning by inflating its body and hissing loudly. When a prey gets too close, the puff adder has to be fast. 114-121 (2010). The Puff adder is a venomous viper species found in Sub-Saharan Africa and on the Arabian peninsula. The puff adder (B. arietans and others) is a large extremely venomous snake found in the semiarid regions of Africa and Arabia. The Puff adder is a venomous viper species found in Sub-Saharan Africa and on the Arabian peninsula. This way it won't get hurt itself. Amputations and other surgeries are common to mitigate the effect of bites though. Death adders typically occupy habitats ranging from desert to rainforest in Australia and New Guinea; however, A. antarcticus occurs near the more-temperate and maritime eastern and southern coasts of Australia. The name adder may also be applied to certain other snakes, such as the hognose snake (Heterodon), a harmless North American genus. Its bite is rarely fatal to humans. The puff adder is fairly large snake, growing to around 1m in length (3 feet) and with a girth of 40cm (16 in). In fact, the aforementioned study indicates that the puff adder is approximately twice as fast as the diamondback rattlesnake, another large venomous snake;although not living in the same places as puff adders. The puff adder is about 1 to 1.5 metres (3 to 5 feet) long and is coloured gray to dark brown with thin yellow chevrons on its back. 313(2) pp. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

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