Interesting Memory as a kid

[Ryuu]

Good day, this Might be a strange topic but it has been bugging me for years now..

As a Kid I Use to Catch many Snakes on my Grandmothers farm in Limpopo, Thabazimbi to be exact.

And there is one snake that i found there that Im not sure should be there.. it Looked a little like a Gaboon adder. This in my mind should not be.. but as the years gone by I have spoken to many farmers and people i know that live there and they have come across some of these vipers. its stocky just like a puff adder but Far more colourful.. It had greens and yellows in it and most distinctive was the solid colour of the head. I have never seen a Puff adder that looked even remotely to like those snakes. I havnt found one in ages and have no pictures of it.. That being said I havnt gone "herp hunting" in over 10 years so they might still be there..

Any Help Identifying this Snake would be welcomed. even any kind of speculation.


In my Years of being in remote areas I have Found Many Strange Snakes.. Like in Mozambique I found a Brown House snake that was almost white. but it wasn't an albino had normal coloured eyes. So the Snake in question might have just been a variant of puff adder.. Who knows.. I Will try find one when Im that side again..

[Ales]

What you're talking about is probably a horned adder (bitis caudalis)

[Ryuu]

Well... I have seen them before and it didn't look like that.. not to mention no Horns..

[vuduman]

Do you remember the bigest one that you ever found?an estimated size,might narrow it down a little bit perhaps.

[Ryuu]

Just under a meter around 70-80cm.

Like I said they look like Very colourful puff adders and they are fat and stocky.

[croteseeker]

I'm not an expert on South African snakes, by any means. But, for what it's worth, I've seen some beautiful puffies with all sorts of odd colors. Some that even seemed to almost completely lack head markings. At the same time, I've never even seen a photo of a gabby that didn't have the characteristic eye stripes.

Did you happen to notice whether or not it had enlarged internasal scales?

edit: another thought, I've also seen some B. caudalis with greatly reduced supraocular scales. Does their range extend to limpopo?

[Ryuu]

I'm not an expert on South African snakes, by any means. But, for what it's worth, I've seen some beautiful puffies with all sorts of odd colors. Some that even seemed to almost completely lack head markings. At the same time, I've never even seen a photo of a gabby that didn't have the characteristic eye stripes.

Did you happen to notice whether or not it had enlarged internasal scales?

edit: another thought, I've also seen some B. caudalis with greatly reduced supraocular scales. Does their range extend to limpopo?

Ah Yes, They seemed like a normal puff adders internasal scales.. no eye stripes either..

It could have just been a very strangely marked Puff Adder.. But its strange none the less... Wonder why they are there in that specific area.

Also one thing that bugs me.. Its easy for a herp enthusiast to recognize the differences in marking and colour.. but for your average person it has to be pretty distinct.. Many people there in Thabazimbi say they see snakes that look like puff adders but have some huge differences..

there’s another fact that makes me think its not simply just a small population of gaboon adders.. It is way to dry there.. a gaboon wont be able to survive there.. in my opinion..

The snake in Question also doesn’t have the characteristic “inverted V’s” on the back like puff adders do.. and there are “normal” puff adders there as well.. lots of them.


as for the range of B. caudalis
I dont think they are there.. but its more likely then a Gaboon adder..

[Bushviper]

I have seen basically patternless puff adders from Namibia, Rustenburg as well as Tsipise area. I am pretty sure you just found variations of these.

Such a pity you never took a picture.