Weird Animals: The Bush Viper

The Bush Viper

Scientific name: Atheris squamiger.

Family: Viperidae

Size: At an adult length of 16 to 22 inches, males are the smaller sex. Females are 20 to 28 inches in length.

Habitat: It often lives in rain forests ranging from Nigeria to Western Kenya. It can also be found in woodlands in Tanzania and Angola.

Lifespan: 12 to 20 years.

Dangerous: Yes

Endangered: Unknown

Overview

This venomous, rough-scaled viper is known by its common name Bush Viper. It comes in many different colors like: red, orange, gray, yellow, black, blue, and brown.  Mating season for them is in October and females can give birth to 9 to 12 babies in March and April. The babies don't get their color until 3 to 4 months after birth. These snakes are rarely seen in the wild because they live far away from any human settlement. For the same reason, the amount of bush vipers in the wild is unknown. It is a carnivore and is nocturnal. During the day, it hides in trees (since it is an excellent climber), baking in the sun and waiting for prey. It is known to ambush predators and bite with its powerful fangs. However, before it attacks it curls its body into an S shape. Its bite is fatal to humans since there is no antidote for its venom. At one time, their poison was considered harmless (they guessed wrong).Their venom is considered hemotoxic (which means their venom can kill or injure red blood cells, causing clots).   Luckily, people rarely travel where it lives.