Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassSquamata
FamilyViperidae (Vipers)
GenusBitis (Puff Adders)
SpeciesBitis arietans (Puff Adder)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

1 Verified sightings at Golden Gate Highlands National Park From 2019 to 2026

914 Verified sightings across all 41 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Puff Adder

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 →

Closest Relatives at Golden Gate Highlands National Park

Bitis atropos

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
2	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
3	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
4	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
5	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
6	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
7	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
8	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
9	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
10	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
11	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
12	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
13	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	~10%
14	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
15	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
16	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
17	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
18	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	Insufficient data
19	Waterberg Plateau Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
20	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
21	Selous Game Reserve	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
22	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
23	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
24	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
25	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	Insufficient data
26	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
27	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
28	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
29	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
30	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	Insufficient data
31	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
32	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
33	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
34	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
35	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	Insufficient data
36	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data
37	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
38	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
39	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
40	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
41	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	Insufficient data

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