This thick, heavily-built snake has a large, flattened, triangular head and large nostrils which point vertically upwards. They are one of the few snakes that crawl on the ground in a straight line.
The body is yellow-brown to light brown, with black, pale-edged chevrons on the back and bars on the tail. The scale colours of the Puff Adder allows it to blend in with piles of leaves or sand and is well camouflaged.
The Puff Adder is an aggressive snake and is known to attack with little warning. It gets its name from the way it inflates itself and hisses when threatened. Consider the hissing sound of a Puff Adder as a warning.
It has one of the fastest strikes out of all snakes and should be respected by all those who come in contact with it. Always remember that snakes are more afraid of you so be kind and respect their environment.
This venomous snake has large hinged front fangs that are capable of a painful bite and deep venom penetration. Death from a Puff Adder bite can happen and mostly occur from a secondary infection or poor medical care.