The Puff adder is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa. - Wikipedia
They are short stocky snakes that occur in a variety of
colours, from sandy brown, grey, bright yellow & black in some parts of its
range. As South Africa’s most widely-spread, venomous snake, the Puff Adder
occurs in a large range of habitat, from coastal bush, grassland, fynbos habitat.
The Puff Adder along withe the Mozambique Spitting Cobra account for the
majority of serious snake bites South Africa. The Puff Adder is a snake with
excellent camouflage, and it prefers to sit and wait for opportunity when it
comes to feeding. These snakes may remain in an ambush position for several
weeks, waiting for a potential meal to pass by. They have a powerful cytotoxic
venom which can lead to extreme pain, severe swelling, and blistering of the
skin.
Anti-venom: Polyvalent anti-venom is used in the effective
treatment of bites.
The name ‘puff adder’ stems from the snake’s habit of
inflating itself and hissing when threatened. The noise produced is a menacing
hissing sound and should be construed as a strong warning! The snake itself is
rather sluggish and generally moves in a rectilinear motion, or straight line
(like a caterpillar), as opposed to the serpentine motion exhibited by most
other snakes. It does however possess one of the fastest strikes of all snakes
and should be respected at all times! It is easily recognised by its stumpy
appearance, only growing to a maximum of about 1 meter in length, the
chevron-like markings on its back and a large, triangular shaped head.
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