Bitis nasicornis is a short, heavy-bodied snake.
Females are usually the larger of the two, monomorphic sexes.
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Bitis nasicornis is its small-flattened triangular shaped head. Its brilliant coloration is an adaptive feature, and varies among individuals. The color patterns depend on the snake's habitat. Bitis nasicornis is an ambush predator, relying on cryptic coloration as camouflage to hide from their prey. Once grabbed the prey is injected with a single venom, that primarily contains hemotoxic properties, along with some nerotoxic properties.