Vipers are known to be among some of the most feared predators of the forests of Africa. As such, a massive viper was found within these forests to hold the longest fangs of any snake on Earth.
Viper Fangs Abilities
According to Science Alert, the Gaboon viper, known by its scientific name Bitis gabonica, has fangs two inches long and is largest compared to any snake on Earth. The fangs are retractable, giving the snake enough power to take down an antelope.
Central Florida Zoo shares how the gaboon viper can camouflage with leaves due to its combination of brown and purple in stripes and diamonds. These snakes were described as passive hunters, hiding and striking at creatures passing within range.
As noted by Technology, these vipers often reside in sub-Saharan Africa's rainforests and savannas. These snakes also have unique hunting habits requiring fangs this long.
As for their weight, the gaboon viper can go up to 45 pounds and extend up to around 1.8 meters. According to National Zoo, despite their size, they're still capable of ambushing prey with their 15cm-wide head having a leaf pattern.
Snake's Hunting Habits
What makes the gaboon viper different is instead of actively hunting prey, it waits for creatures up to the size of an antelope to enter its range of attack. Although its venom is not really toxic, the snake can still inject large doses, making it lethal.
The snake hides and camouflages itself in the forest, and when prey comes within range, they strike and burrow its teeth into the prey's body. The snake doesn't let go and holds on to its prey for extended periods when larger doses of venom enter the victim's body.
The viper is also capable of leaping six meters in just a second, making it capable of striking birds and not just ground creatures. Illinois Experts' researchers suspect that the snake could've evolved its long injectors to allow it to better feed on mammals.
How Dangerous Is the Gaboon Viper?
As the gaboon viper hangs onto its prey with fangs sunk, it's able to inject up to 2,400 milligrams of dry venom or about 9.7 milliliters of wet venom, making it particularly lethal as 100mg of dry venom alone is enough to kill humans.
The gaboon viper could theoretically produce enough poison to kill six humans, but despite this, they rarely attack people. According to the National Library of Medicine, an antidote is already available to counter the poison when these snakes attack.
Most of the time, when they see a human, they often hiss to make them go away. However, they pose great risks to swinging monkies, as they are usually on high alert when they sense the viper coming due to its ability to leap up.
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