Gaboon Adder Care Sheet
Gaboon Adder Care Sheet
By Reptitrader
New!! Scroll down for a video on the Gaboon Adder
Picture By Brimac the 2nd
(Care Sheets are a simplified look at caring for snakes, for more detailed information consultr the relevant book from our book store)
General: The Gaboon Adder (Bitis gabonica) is a Stout bodied primarily nocturnal snake that grows to between 5 and 7 ft. They are found in Africa from Guinea, Ghana, Togo, Cameroon, Congo, DRC, Tanzania, Uganda and to South of the Sahara as well as North Eastern Kwa ZuluNatal in South Africa. They are found in Forests and on the verge of forests where they lie camouflaged between the leaves on the forest floor waiting for prey.
Venom: Gaboon Adders have the longest fangs and the highest venom yield of all known snakes, combined with a potently cytotoxic venom causing severe tissue damage.
Enclosure: A large enclosure of about 4ft X 2ft X 2ft is recommended for your Gaboon Adder, although they do not need much room for roaming, it is always good to have some space when working with venomous. Furnish the enclosure with a hide box, (a trap box is always recommended for venomous snakes to make cleaning easier) and a water bowl.
Substrate: Newspaper, bark chips, coconut husk or any such substrate is good enough for Gaboon adders.
Temperature & Humidity: The ambient temperature of the enclosure must be in around 28 degrees C and a hot spot around 31 degrees should be provided. A low to moderate humidity of between 35 and 55% is required for Gaboon Adders.
Feeding: Feed your Gaboon Adder appropriately sized rodents no wider than 1 and a half times the snakes girth. It is best to feed venomous snakes pre killed prey with the aid of a long pair of feeding tongs. These snakes strike hard and fast so be careful.
Cleaning: Clean Enclosure thoroughly at least once a month and remove faeces as it appears. Clean water must always be available.
Picture by Patrick Coin
