The Puff Adder is the most widespread venomous snake in Africa and is responsible for around 60% of African snakebites and more human fatalities than any other snake in the continent.
Most snakes retreat at the approach of a perceived threat but Puff Adders remain still and rely on their camouflage to protect them, resulting in many bites occurring from people accidentally stepping on them. A single bite from a Puff Adder can inject up to 3.5x the lethal human dose of its cytotoxic venom.
If Puff Adders are disturbed they will emit a loud hissing noise, form a tight coil and then strike sideways.
All of the Puff Adder photos shown above are of captive individuals photographed in a studio setting.
Ray Wilson owns the copyright of all images on this site.
They may not be used or copied in any form without prior written permission.
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