Bitis gabonica
| Gaboon viper | |
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| Gaboon viper | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Bitis |
| Species: | B. gabonica |
| Binomial name | |
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Bitis gabonica (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) |
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| Distribution range | |
| Synonyms | |
Bitis gabonica, most commonly known as the Gaboon viper, is a viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Like all vipers, it is venomous. It is not only the largest member of the genus Bitis, but also the world's heaviest viperid, and it has the longest fangs – up to 2 inches in length (5 cm) - and the highest venom yield of any snake. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Adults average 125–155 cm (4 to 5 feet) in total length (body + tail) with a maximum total length of 205 cm (81 in) for a specimen collected in Sierra Leone. The sexes may be distinguished by the length of the teeth in relation to the total length of the body: approximately 12% for males and 6% for females. Adults, especially females, are very heavy and stout. One female had the following dimensions:
In their description of B. gabonica, Spawls et al.. (2004) give an average total length of 80–130 cm (32 to 51.5 in), with a maximum total length of 175 cm (69.3 in), saying the species may possibly grow larger still. They acknowledge reports of specimens over 1.8 m (6 ft), or even over 2 m (6.5 ft) in total length, but claim there is no evidence to support this. A large specimen of exactly 1.8 m (5.9 ft) total length, caught in 1973, was found to have weighed 11.3 kg (25 lb) with an empty stomach. Very large specimens may possibly weigh up to 20 kg (44 lb), which would rank them as the world's heaviest venomous snake ahead of the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, but these masses are not known to have been verified.
The head is large and triangular, while the neck is greatly narrowed: almost one-third the width of the head. A pair of "horns" is present between the raised nostrils — tiny in B. g. gabonica, but much larger in B. g. rhinoceros. The eyes are large and moveable, set well forward, and surrounded by 15–21 circumorbital scales. There are 12–16 interocular scales across the top of the head. Four or five scale rows separate the suboculars and the supralabials. There are 13–18 supralabials and 16–22 sublabials. The fangs may reach a length of 55 millimetres (2.2 in) : the longest of any venomous snake.
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Wikipedia