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Hi forumties,

i need your expert opionons. I just read a trip report in which is mentioned that someone saw a puffadder swimming in the chobe river!
I hardly believe...What do you think? Can puffadder swim?
Thank you very much in advance.

Yes, they can. For another eye witness report by none other than 1 of SA's top wildlife filmmakers, click here.

Puffy's are powerfull swimmers

Most of our snakes swims well...

Saw this beauty south of Nossob during May this year.

Hi Ludwig

Nice photos!! Where did you see this Puffy?? Was it still alive?? I almost get the idea that it may be dead??

Mfezi

Hello Mfezi,
I saw it between Pretoriuskop and Skukuza.
Here is the link to the story:

Link

We were playing golf at Mabalingwe (Zebula) over the weekend. My husband walked into the rough to look for his partner's golf ball (seriously - he was in the middle of the fairway!). With his eyes focussed on the ball lying in the rough, he walked up to it to mark it for his partner. As he got to within 1 foot of the ball, a sudden hissing checked him in his stride and he only then noticed this HUGE Puff-adder!!. Seriously thick - say 9cm diameter and about 50cm long!! Very scary. It then slid off into the bush. However, one of the guys from the pro shop said that they aren't venomous when they are shedding - which this one was. I have never heard that - can anyone tell me if it is true?

Hi Woodlin, that is not true at all. They are poisonous, but apart from that, snakes overall are very irritable when shedding skin. Your hubby is very lucky to not have been bitten cause the Puffadder makes for a nasty & potentially fatal bite.

Thanks Scipio, I thought as much! I guess the answer is to remain on the fairways!

Woodlin, I agree 100% with what Scipio has said. One must bear in mind that if the type of snake that is under discussion is known to be a venomous specie, it will always be venomous. No matter what the snake is doing or not doing.

Venomous snakes' babies are born / hatched with a fully equipped venom apparatus, fangs and venom and it stays in working condition until the day that they die.

Your husband is indeed lucky that he got so close to the snake with out being bitten. Who knows, another movement might have just triggered the snake to strike. It also just shows you how well their camouflage is that your husband got so close without seeing the snake and that the snake had to hiss to warn your husband. On the other hand it also shows that snakes will not just strike at any object indiscriminately. Remember that one reason for snakes striking is when they feel endangered.

Hope this helps.

Mfezi

This has been doing the email rounds, and I don't know whether to put it under Photography, Reptile Quiz, or Animals!



Purportedly from Ellisras (or whatever the new name is!)



Something definitely fishy here!

Good grief!

Any idea if this is a record lenght for a pufadder?