Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I keep Gaboon vipers, and Rhinoceros vipers, and puff adders.
both the Rhino vipers and the Gaboon vipers ( EA ) strike and hold prey items off floor of the cage till dead, puff adders bite and release in typical viperine fashion. Why would the other species mentioned have developed such a prey securing methods and puff's be left out of the same technique?
I sorta understand why they hold and elevate their prey, to ensure they keep what they kill and to allow maximum effects of the extremely long fangs and large venom volume to debilitate the prey item as quickly as possible, but this must also be very energy wasteful when compared to strike and release. any thoughts.
Barry

I can't speak to why they've developed this behavior, but I can offer an observation... The two puff adders I care for buth exhibit the strike and hold behavior, sometimes to the point of stuffing the entire prey item into thier mouth and holding onto the tongs. Maybe yours are just weird...
>>I keep Gaboon vipers, and Rhinoceros vipers, and puff adders.
>>both the Rhino vipers and the Gaboon vipers ( EA ) strike and hold prey items off floor of the cage till dead, puff adders bite and release in typical viperine fashion. Why would the other species mentioned have developed such a prey securing methods and puff's be left out of the same technique?
>>I sorta understand why they hold and elevate their prey, to ensure they keep what they kill and to allow maximum effects of the extremely long fangs and large venom volume to debilitate the prey item as quickly as possible, but this must also be very energy wasteful when compared to strike and release. any thoughts.
>>Barry
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Larry D. Fishel
Side effects may include paralysis
and death but are generally mild.

I have had puff adders for a few years, along with Gaboon vipers and rhino vipers. From my observation, I am assuming you feed frozen/ thawed or fresh killed food items. I feed live rats. Yeah I know but that is another debate. The only thing I have seen puff adders do to live food items is pin them up against the wall of cage for a few seconds then always release. Perhaps with already dead food items, on the bite with no resistance they feel no need to withdraw till item is dead, don't kow with certianity.
Barry

Hello Barry,
I have noticed the same thing in my puffs..... Also in my rhinos..... I figured that gaboons may do this more so then the other two because of its extreamly large fang size..... May be alittle harder for them to extract the fangs I also feed live on occation and it is over pretty quickly when a gaboon bites down..... The Venom, plus those huge fang, do not give the prey item too much chance to kick around..... My 5.5 foot female has killed rats in just a few seconds..... My puffs and rhinos do not kill as fast...... This is just what I have seen......