Is this a puff adder?

Is this a puff adder?

Postby AnsieVicente » Thu Mar 22, 2012 4:32 pm

Hi all

First post here, so please bear with me if I'm breaking rules etc - it isn't on purpose.

Image

This snake seen three weeks ago by my sister, at about 2pm-ish, on a trout farm between Waterval Boven and Machadodorp in Mpumalanga. (I am trying to find some additional pics)

The kids (5 children, aged between 6 and 11) came across it while on a walk, about 50m from a trout dam.

Adult eye witnesses (who also took the pic) say it was about a metre long, and identified it as a puffie based on the chevron markings. The snake ignored them completely (they kept a distance of about 1,5m from the snake) for about 5 minutes while it slowly moved to the left, then seemed to notice then (when this pic was taken), turned around and "calmly" moved away into longer grass.

We go to the farm often and have seen loads of rinkhals and cobras, and we know there is a "skaapsteker" who lives in the vicinity of where this snake was seen. We were not along for this particular trip, so I have to rely on the info I've been given by the adults who also saw it.

I'm not convinced this particular snake was a puffie because it doesn't seem fat enough, and the head doesn't seem to be triangular enough? But I'm also confused about what else it could be.

Any ideas?

Many thanks
Ansie
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Re: Is this a puff adder?

Postby Westley Price » Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:01 pm

Hi Ansie

Yup, that's a Puff Adder.

The picture is a bit small, but from the dorsal pattern I'm pretty sure it's a Puffy.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: Is this a puff adder?

Postby AnsieVicente » Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:17 pm

Hi Westley
Thanks for the reply.
Quick question: any theories on why it would be so skinny? The area is teeming, literally, with frogs and mice and rats and eggs and lizards and all sorts of interesting food items. It seems unlikely that it wouldn't have enough to eat.
Thanks
Ansie
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