VOICE OF RUSSIA (Moscow) 16 August 10 African viper in Altai forest
A Gabonese viper, a poisonous snake indigenous for Central and Western Africa, has been caught in the Altai Territory in Southern Siberia.
A local resident discovered it not far from his garden and immediately realized he was seeing something absolutely unknown in those parts.
Snakes with a sandy patterned skin and spikes in the nose had never been met in the Altai forests before.The reptile was sent to Novosibirsk to be studied by serpentologists.
The Gabonese viper can reach nearly 2 metres in length and large species can weigh over 8 kilograms.The snake is rather phlegmatic, it takes serious effort to make it attack. But its bite causes deep poisoning that often results in death.
African viper in Altai forest