Bitis arietans
Silhouette: Steven Traver ยท PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a highly venomous viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions. It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
The species is commonly known as the puff adder, African puff adder, or common puff adder. German naturalist Blasius Merrem described Bitis arietans in 1820. The specific name arietans means "striking violently" and is derived from the Latin arieto. The type locality given is "Promontorio bonae spei " (Cape of Good Hope), South Africa.
The puff adder's usual size is about 1.0 m (39.3 in) in total length (body and tail) and very stout. Large specimens of 190 cm (75 in) total length, weighing over 6.0 kg (13.2 lb) and with a girth of 40 cm (16 in) have been reported. Specimens from Saudi Arabia are not as large, usually no more than 80 cm (31 in) in total...
Recording0:08
South Africa ยท 2016
ยฉ Marion Maclean ยท iNaturalist ยท CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 2 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | ๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | |
| 4 | Garden Route National Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 5 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 6 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 7 | Table Mountain National Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 9 | Chinko Conservation Area | ๐จ๐ซ Central African Republic | |
| 10 | Addo Elephant National Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 11 | Nairobi National Park | ๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | |
| 12 | Serengeti National Park | ๐น๐ฟ Tanzania | |
| 13 | Pilanesberg National Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 14 | Masai Mara National Reserve | ๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | |
| 15 | Etosha National Park | ๐ณ๐ฆ Namibia | |
| 16 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 2 | National Zoological Park | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 3 | Denver Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 4 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 5 | Bronx Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 6 | Omahaโs Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 7 | Johannesburg Zoo | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 8 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 9 | Toledo Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 10 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 11 | Saint Louis Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 12 | Terra Natura Benidorm | ๐ช๐ธ Spain | |
| 13 | Zoo Knoxville | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 14 | Houston Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 15 | Cameron Park Zoo | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 16 | London Zoo | ๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom | |
| 17 | Faunia | ๐ช๐ธ Spain | |
| 18 | Minsk Zoo | ๐ง๐พ Belarus | |
| 19 | African Village | ๐ฆ๐ช United Arab Emirates | |
| 20 | Crocworld Conservation Centre | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 21 | Reptile Gardens | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 22 | Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 23 | Cherkasy Zoo | ๐บ๐ฆ Ukraine | |
| 24 | Gambia Reptile Farm | ๐ฌ๐ฒ Gambia | |
| 25 | Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 26 | Riverbend Crocodile Farm | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 27 | Lawnwood snake sanctuary | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 28 | Terrariet | ๐ฉ๐ฐ Denmark | |
| 29 | AgouaLand | ๐ง๐ฏ Benin | |
| 30 | Cittร della Domenica | ๐ฎ๐น Italy | |
| 31 | Exotic Animal World | ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | |
| 32 | Falconry of Kenya | ๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | |
| 33 | Maymont Farm | ๐บ๐ธ United States | |
| 34 | Reptilienzoo Nockalm | ๐ฆ๐น Austria | |
| 35 | ะัะปัััะฝะฐััะน | ๐ง๐พ Belarus |
No species of the same family or order lives in Chinko Conservation Area, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Puff Adder sighting in Chinko Conservation Area on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Puff Adder in Chinko Conservation Area on a given day, against under 5% in February, April and JuneโOctober, the lowest months. That is one of Chinko Conservation Area's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 180 mm in August.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Puff Adder sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 16
Of the 16 parks where we can rate Puff Adder sightings, Chinko Conservation Area ranks 9th at about 10%. The best odds are in West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 50%), De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 40%) and Tsavo East National Park (Kenya, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Puff Adder is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Chinko Conservation Area (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "โ". How it works.
