Dream Find!

My dream find! A Gaboon!

This past weekend I had the great privilege of coming across one of the most beautiful, amazing snakes in the world, the Gaboon Adder!

I was in St.Lucia and had bumped into some friends when we came across this magnificent creature. A stunning male, of around 90cm in length, which was probably searching for a mate. It is a species I've dreamt of finding and I have spent many hours searching for one.

Gaboon Adders (Bitis gabonica) are large bulky snakes, growing to just over a meter in length. They have incredible camouflage, and blend into forest floors extremely well. They feed on rodents, ground-dwelling birds, and have even been known to take monkeys and duiker. They are known to have some of the longest fangs in the world, reaching about 4cm in length, but are usually less than that. They give birth to live young.

They are a highly venomous species, with a potent cytotoxic venom. They have big heads and big fangs, meaning they'll inject a big amount of venom! It is not a snake to get bitten by!

Luckily, they are very shy snakes that are very seldom seen. They're very slow moving, and are not very aggressive. If you ever do see one, consider yourself very lucky and appreciate the sighting!

They are a protected species and listed as Near Threatened. Much like most animals, habitat destruction is their main threat. They have a small, restricted distribution. They are also killed on roads by cars, and are sometimes collected by snake keepers. They are prized in the pet trade. We need to do everything we can to conserve this remarkable animal!

It was truly an absolute honour to see such a beautiful snake. They are just drop-dead gorgeous! It really was a dream come true, something I'll never forget!