Reptiles · Squamata · Viperidae

Gaboon Viper

Bitis gabonica

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

It has the longest fangs of any snake in the world, at 4 to 5.8 cm, and delivers more venom per bite than any snake known.

Weight

7 kg – 11 kg

Size

1.2 m – 1.8 m

Lifespan

18 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

RainforestCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest

43countries 29parks22same family

Fun facts

For all its reputation, it is an extremely placid, slow-moving snake that rarely bites.
It eats small mammals and ground birds, taken from ambush.
It is the heaviest viper in the world, exceptional individuals topping 20 kg.
anatomíaIt has the longest fangs of any venomous snake known, able to exceed 5 centimetres, and delivers one of the largest volumes of venom per bite of any snake.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Rainforest and moist woodland of sub-Saharan Africa, sheltering among the leaf litter
Birth weight: ~30 cm long at birth, its markings already much like an adult's
Size at birth: 30 cm long at birth
Sexual maturity: 3-5 years, at a length of 80-100 cm
Gestation / incubation: ~7 months (180-240 days) of gestation, a viviparous species
Litter / clutch size: 8 to 43 young per litter (usual reference 15-40)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 18-20 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Dimensions.com; Snake Wiki (Fandom); BioDB; Britannica; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; The Animal Facts; Grokipedia (Gaboon viper); Animalia.bio