Reptiles · Squamata · Viperidae

Rhinoceros Viper

Bitis nasicornis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The rhinoceros viper is one of the most spectacular snakes in the world: its skin combines purple, blue, green, red and yellow in a geometric mosaic, and it carries two or three pairs of scaly horns on its snout. Despite those colours it is almost invisible on the leaf litter of the African forest floor, where it hunts by ambush.

Weight

2 kg – 4 kg

Size

70 cm – 1.2 m

Lifespan

15 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

Easy

RainforestFreshwaterCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest Freshwater

12countries 19parks22same family

Fun facts

GeneralIts skin, patterned in geometric blues and greens, makes it invisible in the leaf litter.
It is probably the most colourful snake in Africa: a mosaic of purple, blue, green, red and yellow that, against the damp leaf litter of the forest floor, works as perfect camouflage despite looking impossible in the hand.
The horns on the snout are modified scales and their function is still unclear, although it has been suggested that they break up the outline of the head.
It is a patient ambusher: it can stay motionless in the same spot for weeks waiting for a rodent to pass, and strikes with extraordinary speed for such a heavy snake.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Rainforest, swamp forest and waterlogged ground of Central and West Africa
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 7 months of gestation
Litter / clutch size: 20 live young

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitis_nasicornis