#KeWildlife – Story 18

It feels good to be the most feared reptile in the world, especially because I don’t have to hunt as actively as some of the other animals I see in the plains. I take pride in my appearance: scaly body and my ability to slither to wherever I please, my ability to sense an animal, whether near or far – depending on what I choose to focus on, and my fangs – yes! These sharp teeth that take effect on my enemies and my meals – I most certainly appreciate them.
But perhaps you’d like to know how I get to eat despite my renowned laziness.

It’s pretty simple, I wait for my food to come to me.
I take up my ambush position near a scent trail, ensuring that my hideout is secure enough for my body to camouflage. The advantage I have is that my eyes are very good at detecting movement, and rather than hearing sounds, I pick up vibrations using the skin around my jawbone. In order to get accurate vibrations, I have to place my head on the ground – (in doing so, vibrations are amplified enormously). I then target my prey using my sense of taste and smell. When it finally lures itself towards my radius, heat sensitive cells within my lips become stimulated by my prey’s body heat. At this point, I need to have uttermost self-control, because I need to remember that my patience is what helps me get my food.

My system almost works like a computer. When all these senses are put together and my brain processes them, I move swiftly and bite the animal on site. My fangs pierce the animal and release venom. Thereafter, I release. I use my venom as a hunting aid: to mobilize or slow down the prey, rather than to kill. At this point, I’m content for my prey to escape.

You might think I’m crazy to let the animal get away, but trust me when I tell you when my venom gets into the prey’s system, it won’t go far. All I have to do is wait for the venom to take effect. Unbeknownst to my prey, it has left a trail behind that only I can detect. I capture this trail with my fork tongue. After a time, I follow the trail to my meal and enjoy the feast of the dead animal.
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The Puff Adder is the most widespread venomous viper snake species found in African savannah grasslands. The snake’s colour pattern varies geographically, varying from yellow, light brown and orange, overlaid with a pattern of a darker brown to black chevron shaped bands.

These deadly animals are known to inject their prey with venom. A puff adder bite causes immediate severe pain, and it is responsible for the majority of snakebite fatalities in Africa. We strongly advise that you stay away from this animal – as interesting as it may seem.