Bitis arietans
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
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... Wikipedia →
Recording0:11
Kenya · 2025
© Simon Musila · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Angola · 2025
© Zilpa Miranda · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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South Africa · 2016
© Marion Maclean · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 4 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Nairobi National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 11 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 12 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 14 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 15 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Denver Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Johannesburg Zoo | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Saint Louis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Terra Natura Benidorm | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 13 | Zoo Knoxville | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 14 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | London Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 17 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 18 | Minsk Zoo | 🇧🇾 Belarus | |
| 19 | African Village | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 20 | Crocworld Conservation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 21 | Reptile Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 23 | Cherkasy Zoo | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | |
| 24 | Gambia Reptile Farm | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 25 | Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 26 | Riverbend Crocodile Farm | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 27 | Lawnwood snake sanctuary | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 28 | Terrariet | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 29 | AgouaLand | 🇧🇯 Benin | |
| 30 | Città della Domenica | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 31 | Exotic Animal World | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 32 | Falconry of Kenya | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 33 | Maymont Farm | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 34 | Reptilienzoo Nockalm | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 35 | Дэльфінарый | 🇧🇾 Belarus |
No species of the same family or order lives in Nairobi National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Puff Adder sighting in Nairobi National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 13 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Puff Adder in Nairobi National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August and October–May, the lowest months. That is one of Nairobi National Park's driest months, with about 30 mm of rain against 180 mm in April.
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.
10th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate Puff Adder sightings, Nairobi National Park ranks 10th 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 Nairobi National Park (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 "—". How it works.
