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Keeping Gaboon Vipers
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by longtooth on November 9, 2005
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Dexter, i hate i just now read your artical.I thank you for a great lesson on goonies.I work at a small wildlife park in n.c.and have been working mostly with crotalus and akistrdons also banded cobras but goonies are some fine snakes beautiful animals and as you stated very fast very precise.I guess i'm doing well by them all that you said to do i have and they are doing fine.Thanks again for a great artical and stay safe your bro coy beck j.r. longtooth www.ckjbeck3@cs.com
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RE: Keeping Gaboon Vipers
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by Karrie on March 13, 2006
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Okay. I just screwed up and lost the whole thing I had typed. So I'm gonna give the quickie version. had a pair of m and f very young Gaboons who when they ate struck and retreated until their prey died. I noticed from your article that's unusual. Could their age have been a factor, could it have been a fluke, or was something wrong with them from the get go? They didn't make it to adulthood despite the fact that we did everything you mentioned, took them to the vet, and taught them to drink water. Any suggestions to what may have happened?? Common causes of death I mean? We also got another Gaboon about six months later- an older male who had been abused in the past (he had been blinded in one eye by someone who owned him previously - we have a small sanctuary for abused, unwanted, neglected animals and take in almost everything (however we do quarantine). I always felt sorry for the guy and tried to make him comfortable, but we lost him too. (Note: All of these snakes showed no symptoms of illness they just died). Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and one more thing. Do you - or anyone for that matter - know of any disease or something that affects reptiles, more than likely airborne, that could also jump species and be capable of affecting both venomous and non-venomous reptiles that could be fatal? Everyone I have asked in the past gives me different answers. If you could get back to me ASAP I'd really appreciate it!! Please overlook my spelling as it is about 5 a.m.
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RE: Keeping Gaboon Vipers
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by neurotoxin on August 18, 2007
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I was curious. I heard from a fellow snake enthusiast that Gaboon Vipers can actually strike the length of their body off of the ground. Similiar to a King Cobra, for example, an 18 foot King Cobra can lift 6 feet of it's body off of the ground to strike you. I was told that a Gaboon Viper can get almost it's entire length off the ground. Can they actually jump to strike you?
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RE: Keeping Gaboon Vipers
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by Mike217 on June 9, 2009
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Be very aware, I was bitten on the finger by a Gaboon Viper and trust me they are lightning fast. My hand was behind him about halfway down his body and about the same distance in the air(he wasn't very long about 50cm). Fortunately, only one fang pierced the skin and it was a dry bite - probably just a warning or maybe I was just out of reach for a clean strike.
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Keeping Gaboon Vipers
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by livingstoneman on June 23, 2010
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I am in Zambia and have 10 Gaboons and 2 puff adders. I could get more as the village people keep bringing them to me to buy as they find them in there fields and kill them, When I heard this I decided to save some, I am only able to save these 10 as my housing area is full, anyway, 2 questions, one is what is in the medication to de-worm the snakes. If I know what the ingredients is, I might be able to find it here in Africa. Second, I notice from time to time that I see fangs in the water basin. Do they lose their fangs as they grow? Some of the Gaboons are youths.
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RE: Keeping Gaboon Vipers
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by Britta on April 29, 2012
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In reply to the questions about keeping the multiple snakes:
*Parasite Medication Question
Ingredients for de-worming medications can easily be found simply by googling the medicines themselves. However, I don't suggest making your own medication or merely providing your snakes with straight ingredients without proper knowledge in chemistry and biochemistry. Snakes are very delicate animals regardless of their reputation and giving them any one of the chemicals used to make medicine could prove toxic to the snakes and not just their parasites. An example is ethanol, an extremely common ingredient but used in very low portions with other materials and ingredients to lessen the possibility of poisoning the snake.
Don't play chemical engineer here, use the products as directed by professionals.
*Fangs Found in Bowl Question
Yes snakes lose teeth, and not just as adolescents. Snakes continue to grow all the way until their death, even though their visible growth rate slows dramatically over time they are definitely still growing. This being said, as they shed their skin they shed their teeth.
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