![]() Deforestation for palm oil, coffee and cocoa agriculture.Human persecution and poaching for human consumption.Collection for the international pet trade.The Rhinoceros viper faces many threats, these include: Rhinoceros vipers have a loud hiss that sounds like a shriek – this is said to be the loudest hiss of any African snake. Powerful swimmers, they often hunt by ambush by waiting silently and motionless until the right moment to strike. Although ground-dwelling, they have a prehensile tail which enables them to climb trees and thickets. They dwell in the dappled sunlight of the forest floor, which provides excellent camouflage. They are primarily nocturnal and solitary and although venomous, they are generally placid in nature. This species has declined significantly in a protected area (Reading et al. 2010), which could be due to exploitation or another unknown threat. The forest is highly fragmented and not well-protected in Rwanda, where Butterfly vipers live and are likely to be at risk from deforestation. ![]() Raise your voice for beautiful #African #vipers by saying no to #palmoil #deforestation #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife Tweet The Butterfly #viper is a stunning #snake in #Africa threatened by #deforestation. They are appreciated for their vividly coloured markings that keep them camouflaged on the forest floor. They are known by several common names: Rhinoceros viper, River Jack, the Rhinoceros horned viper and the Horned puff adder. Snavely has already become a Zoo icon and is a regular in selfies.Butterfly Viper Bitis nasicornis VulnerableĪngola Cameroon Central African Republic Congo The Democratic Republic of Congo Côte d’Ivoire Equatorial Guinea Gabon Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Liberia Nigeria Rwanda Sierra Leone South Sudan Tanzania, United Republic of Togo Uganda.Īlthough they possess one of the most potent venoms of all snakes in Africa, Butterfly Vipers are surprisingly placid and won’t attack unless provoked or threatened. He is constructed out of reinforced fiberglass, strong enough to withstand any playing, sitting or climbing he may encounter from excited Zoo visitors. Snavely was transported to the Zoo via tractor trailer, and came in nine separate pieces! Since he weighs almost 9,000 pounds, Snavely had to be moved by a forklift off of the truck and onto his permanent concrete foundation. You can find them most active after their Keepers have spritzed their exhibit with fresh water. There are two juvenile Rhinoceros vipers on exhibit in the World of Reptiles and Friends, who are both less than one year old and two feet in length. Snavely isn’t the only Rhinoceros viper at the Zoo. In the wild, this coloration usually fades quickly after the snake sheds, but Snavely will remain bright and cheery for years to come! Rhinoceros vipers can be vibrantly colored with electric blue, rosy red, highlighter yellow and jet black scales in an abstract block and stripe pattern, and Snavely does not lack this luster. Not only is Snavely very long, but he’s boldly colored as well. Graciously donated by the Goode family, Snavely was named after a chatty snake who occasionally appeared in the comic strip called Pogo. They are also sometimes called River jacks and horned puff adders. Rhinoceros vipers got their name from the small horns protruding from their snout, which are similar to rhinos. Although these vipers do not reach more than four feet long, they do pack a powerful bite with venom strong enough to cause severe tissue damage. This 67-foot-long sculpture is modeled after a real snake, the Rhinoceros viper ( Bitis nasicornis), which is found in moist savannas and humid forests on the western coast of Africa. He sits just beyond the ZooFarm and reptile building, nestled under the cover of beautiful Crepe myrtle trees, and surrounded by plenty of seating areas, perfect for company! Snavely is a massive, but friendly face welcoming Zoo visitors to the newly opened World of Reptiles and Friends. After days of speculation, the Zoo revealed Snavely, a 67-foot Rhinoceros viper snake sculpture. This venomous snake had guests wondering if it was safe to be around, and some even exclaimed that they wouldn’t be coming near such a scary beast. In the beginning of May, the Virginia Zoo announced it would be welcoming the region’s largest snake, and Zoo fans grew curious to see what the Zoo had in store.
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