GABOON VIPER

( Bitis gabonica ) also called Gabon viper extremely venomous but usually docile, ground-dwelling snake found in tropical forests of central Africa. It is the heaviest venomous snake in Africa, weighing 8 kg (18 pounds), and it grows to a length of 2 metres (about 7 feet). The Gaboon viper also possesses the longest fangs of any snake, measuring up to 4 cm (1.6 inches) long. The stout body is boldly patterned with rectangles and triangles of buff, purple, and brown, making this sluggish viper (family Viperidae) nearly invisible among leaves and roots of the forest floor. The Gaboon viper is a broad-headed snake with two hornlike projections on its snout. When threatened it will hiss, a behaviour common to nearly all snakes. The Gaboon viper breeds every two to three years, giving birth to 1660 young.