Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) lecturer from the Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism (KSHE) Dr Mirza Dikari Kusrini said that the snake in the video upload was indeed a Gaboon viper or Bitis gabonica. Apart from that, the gaboon viper snake is one of the most venomous types of viper in the world. “Because it is venomous, it is clearly dangerous, even though this animal is actually quite passive, especially if it is a pet star. We don’t have anti-venom,” he said, Wednesday (5/4/203). Mirza explained that the gaboon viper is not a snake native to Indonesia.
The Gaboon viper is a snake native to central Africa, east Africa, and west Africa, especially in humid rainforest areas. Meanwhile, the population of the Gaboon Viper snake seems to be quite good because this snake is on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list and is in the Least Concern category or has a low risk of extinction. Even so, Mirza said that this type of snake should not be popularized and then kept as a pet because he remembered that the Gaboon Viper is a dangerous snake. “I hope that no one popularizes this type as a pet,” he said.
Has a triangular head
Reporting from National Geographic, the gaboon viper is one of the longest and heaviest snakes in the Viper family. Gaboon vipers have a unique and distinctive appearance that differentiates them from other Vipers, namely a very thick appearance around their body. Another characteristic of the gaboon viper is that this snake has a triangular head, where it stores a sac and fangs and a large amount of poison inside. At the tip of the gaboon’s head there is a set of elongated scales that are shaped like horns, like those of a rhinoceros. The dark spots along its body make it invisible when lying in ambush among the carpet of leaves.
Venomous snake with the longest fangs
The Gaboon viper is a snake that is solitary and nocturnal. They are most active early in the evening around sunset when they emerge from secluded hiding places to feed. Apart from that, they also have powerful venom which is delivered through intimidating fangs which are the longest fangs among other venomous snakes. The venom of the gaboon viper contains neurotoxins and hemotoxins which can destroy cells and blood vessels so that they enter the body. So this snake is included as one of the most dangerous and deadly snakes in the world.