A creature with a strange pattern resembling a skeleton and a head that looks like that of an alien is slowly moving forward in a straight line. At first glance, many might guess that it is some kind of caterpillar!
However, the creature featured in the video is actually one of the most dangerous creatures in the Sub-Saharan Africa region: the Gaboon Viper (scientific name: Bitis gabonica) – the snake with the longest fangs in the world (up to 5 cm).
Even the king cobra – the longest snake in the world, which can reach lengths of up to 7 meters – has fangs that measure only 8 to 10 millimeters. The Gaboon Viper is also the heaviest venomous snake in Africa and has the highest venom yield per bite compared to any other venomous snake.
Gaboon Viper.
Additionally, the Gaboon Viper is one of the few snake species that move in a straight line (rectilinear locomotion) rather than in an S-shape like most other snakes. They use their sturdy belly scales to propel themselves forward.
Biologist Bruce Jayne from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, in his research on snake locomotion titled “Crawling without Wiggling”, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology, explains:
The straight movement allows snakes to navigate in tight, confined spaces. Most of the snakes/pythons that exhibit this type of movement are large species such as the Gaboon Viper, South American pythons, and boa constrictors…
The venom of the Gaboon Viper can kill a healthy adult with just 1/30 of the average venom yield, yet despite their danger, these snakes rarely attack humans because their habitats are far from human settlements, and Gaboon Vipers are quite calm.
