Trying to capture a cool angle of Franklin the Gaboon Viper doing rectilinear locomotion. But the slight movement makes her stop and huff and puff instead #Gaboonviper #gaboon #viper #bitis #bitisrhinoceros #venomoussnakes #snakes | Mark’s Reptiles

The Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) is a venomous snake native to the rainforests and savannas of central and western Africa. It's the largest viper in Africa, weighing up to 18 lbs and growing to 7 ft long. The Gaboon viper has several distinctive features, including: Fangs** The longest of any snake, measuring up to 2 inches. Body** Stout and heavy with a velvet-like appearance. Coloration** Bold patterns of brown, purple, and buff rectangles and triangles. | Critters Of The World & Southern Out

Violet, one of my many Gaboon Vipers is extremely defensive and although she doesn't really strike out this is really borderline posturing. Good to note body posturing with this species as well as this little tip. Ambush predatory snakes (often easy to distinguish by their heavy bodied build), don't really have a smell. If they did, this would give them away to predators and prey. So if a snake has dedicated and is stuck around its smell it can become very agitated, especially in a captive situa