Africa's Most Deadly Snake! ft. The Puff Adder
Channel: Made in the Wild
Date: 2021-08-29

The Puff Adder ( Bitis arietans ) is a stocky large-bodied venomous snake growing up to 1.5 metres and belongs to the viper family. The puff adder is famous for having a very loud hiss or puff as a warning signal to potential threats, by inhaling and exhaling large amounts of air through the nostrils. As an ambush predator the puff adder relies on expert camouflage and laying still in thick grasses and bushes, successfully feeding on small mammals and larger amphibians. The venom is predominantly a strong cytotoxin, directly breaking down cells and tissues. The puff adder is considered the most deadly snake in Africa, causing more snakebite fatalities than any other snake in the continent, not because it has the most potent venom, but because it is widely encountered and is easy to step on, as it lies still in its ambush position rather than fleeing immediately (like a cobra will). In the breeding season the male puff adder will release pheromones attracting the female to them, this is often the time when these snakes are encountered. The puff adder moves in a caterpillar fashion but when wanting to flee is able to move quickly in the standard snake s-wave locomotion.

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*DISCLAIMER*
 Jack Randall has extensive experience handling and studying wild animals. Where filming with dangerous animals Made in the Wild works with scientists and wildlife institutions. Do not attempt to handle wild animals without appropriate training and permits.
 
About Jack Randall:
Jack is a zoologist on an adventure! His mission is to show off the world’s most amazing animals. And to do that he must explore the world’s most wild places… You can also catch Jack on his TV show with National Geographic Wild / Disney+ called "Out There with Jack Randall" . Jack was educated at Oxford University following an apprenticeship with the iconic Steve Irwin (which started when Jack was 14!). 
 
What Are Creature Features?
All creatures have evolved different tricks to survive in the wild places they call their homes! Each animal has an awesome story about how they look, what they eat and even how they move! Creature Features spotlight the stories behind these crazy cool adaptations. 
 
The Science:
With over 1 Million species on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, animal populations are in decline the world over. This is due to many reasons but what we know for sure is to keep the planet's amazing diversity of wildlife we need to learn as much as possible about where and how these creatures live their lives. Collating all the data we are gathering will help build a picture of which habitats are key to sustaining the largest diversity of life on planet earth. 
 
Thanks to our amazing team without whom the series would not have been possible! 
 
Sarah Ash, Edit
Suzie Brearley, Production
Alex Whitcombe & Rachel Hagreen, Camera 
Rodney Katutja, Field Support
Mike Wyatt, Graphics