Gabon viper: A deadly reptile that is difficult to force to bite, even if held in your arms (6 photos)

It’s not for nothing that they say that calm creatures are the most evil. If you are foolish enough to break through their shell of equanimity, you will face the consequences in the form of bubbling rage. The Gabon viper is a perfect illustration of my words. She is poisonous, she is deadly, she is calm like a tank.





The phlegmatic snake has registered in the homeland of all vipers - in Africa. However, spacious savannahs and hot deserts do not tempt the reptile; it is served by the eternally damp tropical forests in the central part of the continent. The animals also liked man-made plantations, such as cashew and cocoa plantations. Local workers regularly encounter our heroes, but scaly attacks are the exception, not the rule.



And these kids are also good swimmers. Well, just a note.

There are several explanations for this paradox. As a rule, people will not even know that they have passed by a killer reptile. Camouflage under withered leaves perfectly hides it among the motley landscape. Well, those who are lucky enough to see her will quickly run away. A 2-meter scaly hose with a horned muzzle and 4 centimeter fangs makes you want to leave Africa and go somewhere to Greenland.





Do you see the snake? And she is!

And even if you suffer from a severe lack of self-preservation instinct, you still have a decent chance of survival. Snakes just don’t bite people, but they don’t want to. Jump around, make faces, take the predator in your arms in the end! Your tricks will not be able to shake her equanimity. The snake will only tense up during a direct attempt to kill.



In this case, the predatory animal will instantly lose its temper and inject you with a huge dose of toxic poison. Viper venom is dangerous because of its systemic action: it causes massive failures in all organs, accompanied by numerous hemorrhages. Nausea, convulsions, tachycardia and renal failure are a small part of the symptoms from the bite of this legless reptile.



When there are no overly persistent homosapiens nearby, the Gabonese reptile uses the poison for its intended purpose: it poisons mice, frogs, wild cats and dwarf deer. The creatures do not like active hunting; they hide in piles of withered leaves and wait until the provisions come within throwing distance. And the huge, even by snake standards, skull allows it not to worry about the size of its prey.



She feels neither anger nor compassion for her victims; the Gaboon viper can only be aroused by the opportunity to procreate. When the rainy season saturates the jungle with water from roots to crowns, vipers will begin to look for love. A whole ball of admirers wallowing in the mud gathers around the female. The strongest, most dexterous and fastest guy will beat everyone else in a bloodless competition and win the lady’s favor.

After a date with the champion, a new life will start inside the female. Ordinary snakes lay eggs and take care of the clutch for many months, but our heroine was unable to incubate the clutch, so she carries the babies within her for 7 months, until hatching. From 8 to 43 snakes are born at the beginning of summer and are ready to live this phlegmatic life on their own.