A "snake keeper" in his 50s told me that the Gabonese viper is the most "fat" venomous snake on the planet, they are stout, fierce, detoxify more than the king cobra, and can poison 50 adults in one bite, which is the most terrifying than the black mamba.
About the Gabonese Viper
Gabonese viper is a highly venomous snake unique to Africa, they are bloated, fat and thick, adult body length of about 2 meters, weight up to 20 pounds, body surface pattern eye-catching, from a distance looks like a large version of the caterpillar.
Although it looks dumbfounded, its toxicity and combat power are surprisingly strong, not only has the longest fangs among snakes, but also far superior to other snakes, and is a veritable "little bully among snakes".
Interestingly, when the Gabonese viper is angry, it will constantly inhale air to make the body extremely inflated, like a large balloon, and when it is exhausted, it will emit a large "hiss" in the mouth, hence the name sizzle.
The Gabonese viper also has a long lifespan, up to 30 years, and can be called the "old birthday" of the viper world, and its diet is generally guinea pigs, bullfrogs and various small mammals, and it will also prey on other snakes when food is scarce.
How toxic is the Gabonese viper?
As a highly poisonous snake, the venom of the Gabonese viper has both blood toxins and neurotoxins, and the toxicity is very terrifying, once someone is bitten, it will bleed nonstop, and then the muscles will ulcerate, even if it is finally cured, it will leave very serious sequelae.
Not only that, the amount of detoxification of Gabonese vipers is also very amazing, their lethal amount is 60 mg, but the highest amount of detoxification has reached an astonishing 2400 mg, and the average detoxification amount can reach 650 mg, which is 3 times that of the king cobra.
Fortunately, however, there are not many records of injuries from the Gabonese viper, only six in the last 20 years, because the Gabonese viper is an endangered species that is rare and difficult to see even if it lives in its habitat.
How strong is the fighting power of the Gabonese Viper?
1. The Gabonese Viper is huge and extremely explosive
In general, vipers can only rely on venom to fight, but the Gabonese viper is an exception, they are not only poisonous, but also strong and burly, so when fighting, they often crush their opponents directly with their bodies.
You must know that ordinary poisonous snakes, such as bamboo leaf green and silver ring snakes, are difficult to exceed 1.3 meters in length, but the Gabonese viper has a body length of 2 meters, and its head is larger than a human fist, and its body is as thick as a human thigh.
Such a size gives the Gabonese viper an extremely powerful explosive power, and can shoot mice into "meat mud" with one blow, so they are almost undefeated in the fight with their kind.
2. The Gabonese viper has extremely long fangs and is very terrifying
The Gabonese viper's fangs are up to 5 centimeters long, longer than the black mamba's, and extremely sharp, like an awl, which can easily pierce the skin and flesh of the prey, cut through blood vessels, and bring unbearable pain to the prey.
And once the Gabonese viper bites its prey, it will quickly inject venom into the prey, making the poison attack time more rapid, killing a wildebeest in just 30 minutes, and the lethality is terrifying.
The most important thing is that the Gabonese viper is attacking without warning, they will not stand up like a cobra, nor will they warn in advance like a rattlesnake, but will only take a silent bite.
3. The speed of the Gabonese sizzling viper is unique
Many people think that the Gabonese viper is such a fat guy, how fast can it be, if you think so, you are very wrong, although the Gabonese viper is very fat and moves like a caterpillar, but their speed is not slow at all.
Because the ribs of the Gabonese viper are very strong and closely connected to the skin, when the body moves forward, it moves forward with the abdomen, so it moves extremely fast.
The Gabonese Viper also has a fast attack, taking only 0.25 seconds to attack, faster than many animals, and has excellent bounce, although it looks clumsy, but it jumps easily into the air.
4. The Gabonese Viper is good at hiding and is a natural master of disguise
Gabonese vipers are not only powerful, but also have a strong "stealth" ability, their body color is mostly black and tan, the skin has many triangular patterns, this color scheme can be perfectly integrated into the surrounding forest, very conducive to hiding.
And the head of the Gabonese viper is very similar to the dead leaves, if you drill into the fallen leaves, ordinary animals can not find it at all, such a perfect camouflage ability, so that they do not have to go out to feed, just hide in the leaves will have prey automatically come to the door.
This way of waiting for work is easier to catch prey, and it can also be kept away from the sight of predators such as honey badgers and snake vultures, and does not require too much physical energy, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.
5. The Gabonese sizzling viper has excellent predation ability
Because of its overly bloated body, the Gabonese sizzling viper will shrink its body into an S shape when fighting, and then push its head forward to attack, this attack is not only fast, but also very powerful, even the porcupine can not break free after the bite, can only die slowly due to poisoning.
Not only that, when the Gabonese viper lurks in the woods, it will be extremely quiet and will not make a little movement, but when the prey approaches, it will quickly jump up, and its body seems to be equipped with a spring, giving a fatal blow before the prey is found.
It is worth mentioning that the Gabonese viper also has a strong defensive ability, they have thick skin, a thick layer of fat under the skin, and the scales are also very hard, many poisonous snakes' teeth can not be pierced, the defense can be seen.
Can the Gabonese Viper beat the king cobra?
King cobras are the world's largest venomous snakes, they are brutal, powerful, specialize in feeding on various poisonous snakes, are recognized as the "king of all snakes", of course, its strength is far above the Gabonese viper.
Although the king cobra is not as toxic as the Gabonese viper, the king cobra can reach a length of 5 meters, which is twice that of the Gabonese viper, and the king cobra also has a fast speed, the limit speed crushes the Gabonese viper.
In addition, the king cobra is naturally rough and thick, the body also has a strong anti-toxicity, can be immune to almost any snake venom, and the combat IQ is also very high, and it can easily hold the Gabonese viper when it is really fighting.
In a word:
As the world's "fat" venomous snake, the Gabonese viper is not only powerful in combat, but also incomparable in toxicity, even stronger than the king cobra, but its size, speed, and defense are not the opponent of the king cobra, and its comprehensive strength can only not be crushed.