Bitis arietans, or the puff adder snake, is a highly venomous snake found throughout Africa and Arabia. It’s responsible for more bites and deaths in South Africa than any other snake, not because it is the most venomous, but because it’s lazy. Rather than darting away when it senses something coming, like the footsteps of a poor unsuspecting human, it relies on its impressive camouflage to avoid being spotted. Many people therefore unfortunately step on the indolent snakes and end up with a rather nasty nip.
You can see just how awesome the striking power of these snakes is in the YouTube video below released by the BBC, which shows a puff adder attacking a water balloon in slow motion. It’s pretty awesome.
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