Blackie, as she was released.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

Blackie has been our backyard black racer for 5+ years now. Although not tame she was very tolerant of our movements around her, spent much time hunting anoles in the backyard and often sunned on the back steps.

I won’t say we actually loved her, but we surely looked forward to her visits on all but the coldest days.

About 2 months ago Blackies sustained a serious mauling by our Aussie Shepherd. The mauling, we thought when separating the 2, would be fatal. Blackie had badly torn skin and her back seemed broken in 2 places.

But she was alive. Patti carefully brought the snake inside and I coiled her as gently as possible on the bottom of a 10 gallon tank, straightened her back at the breaks, covered her, and hoped for the best, whatever that could be.

Against all odds, she was alive the next morning, lifting her head and flicking her tongue when I put my hand in the tank. But she hadn’t moved her body position so I dropped some dried leaves atop her an added feeling of security, added a water dish, and let her be. And so it went, day after day.

But then one day about 3 weeks later she had moved, half her body length was atop the leaves and she was busily flicking her tongue. I moved her to the water dish, she drank, and I noticed she was entering a shedding cycle. A few days later she began shedding, I assisted, and was pleased to see that when I touched her sides behind both breaks she moved away from my finger. She had feeling!

We decided to keep her captive through our winter, just hoping she’ll be releasable when the warmth again pervades.

Footnote: She was released on 24 Feb 2021 and was last seen periscoping for anoles. Good luck, Blackie.

Note the nasal horns on this pretty West African Gaboon Viper.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

West African Gaboon Viper, Bitis gabonica rhinoceros. Except for facial markings, this large sized snake is of very similar appearance to the East African Gaboon Viper but has prominent nasal horns. It too attains a heavy bodied, remarkably well camouflaged length of 4 ½ to 5 ½ feet with females being larger. It is dangerous, very beautiful, and also has a very wide range (rainforest habitats) from Togo westward to Senegal and Mali. Food is primarily of small mammals. This subspecies has one dark marking, a diagonal triangle marking on each side of its face.

The 2 subspecies of Gaboon viper can interbreed with each other as well as with the Rhinoceros Viper. They give birth to live young that may number from as few as 5 to more than 40. Neonates are 10-12 inches in length.

In activity pattern both subspecies of these shade preferring, fallen-leaf colored, snakes are primarily nocturnal. Both subspecies have very long fangs. Despite their virulent toxins both subspecies are quite popular with herpetoculturists worldwide. Gaboon Vipers are often quiet to the point of placidity during the hours of daylight (keepers—do not be deceived by this, ALWAYS USE EXTREME CAUTION) but become alert and even active after nightfall.

Gaboons may move in a typical side to side motion but are more inclined to use a straight rectilinear movement, being slowly propelled forward by ventral scale motion.

Dangerous but a hobbyist favorite, the East African Gaboon Viper.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

The Gaboon Vipers, often referred to as Gaboon Adders

At one time the Gaboon Viper, Bitis gabonica, contained 2 subspecies, the east African, Bitis gabonica gabonica, and the West African, Bitis gabonica rhinoceros. The two were of pretty similar appearance, the most noticeable difference being dark facial markings and the length of the vertical nasal projections. The East African race has 2 facial markings, a suborbital triangle or spot and a diagonal temporal triangle and short horns while the West African beauty had only the diagonal temporal triangle (it lacked the suborbital spot) and long horns. The two were ostensibly capable of interbreeding.

Then along came genetics and what was one species became 2, but the external differentiating factors remained the same. Genetically, it is thought that the West African Gaboon Viper is more closely allied to the very different appearing Rhinoceros Viper than to its East African lookalike. Call them what you choose, I’ll stick with the Linnaean subspecies concept.

East African Gaboon Viper, Bitis gabonica gabonica. Everything about this snake is “very.” Very large (4 ½ -5 ½ feet long). Females are larger than males. This very heavy bodied, very well camouflaged snake that is very dangerous, very beautiful, has very short nasal protuberances (often merely a pair of bumps at the tip of the snout), and a very wide range (forest and savanna habitats) from Benin to western Kenya and south to Zimbabwe and Zululand. Food is primarily of small mammals. Only one dark triangle on each side of face. There is no suborbital spot or blotch.

They give birth to live young that may number from as few as 5 to more than 40. Neonates are 10-12 inches in length.

Gaboons may move in a typical side to side motion but are more inclined to use a straight rectilinear movement, being slowly propelled forward by ventral scale motion.