years back, i found this amazing picture on the net, i think (but i am not sure) it is from Zoltan Takac.
my question is, is this a Bitis gabonica or an Bitis rhinoceros?



in my opinion, it has the eye markings from a Gabun Viper?


any ideas?

what ever species it is, thats one big SoaB!


cheers
Mario

Hello Mario...

There is a big discussion on this image at southafrican forum http://www.sareptiles.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9525

Cheers, Ronny

What I see is 2 stripes behind the eye. (ore a devided stripe).
There fore I say it's the nominate race; g.gabonica (eastern).

This is written on the SA Reptiles forum:

Quote:

According to the title that gaboon was from the southeastern rainforest of the Cameroons.

I'm not sure if the western race (rhinoceros) occurs in Cameroon.
I thought the geographic range starts from Benin.(ore ends )
There is also the possibility of an intergrade...

I've seen the picture before... The snake looks like a monster.
But the animal is hold close to the camera and the guy is in the back...

Even if the perspective helps to let the snake looking bigger.
It is very big.

It's definitely B. gabonica, with Zoltan Takacs holding it. Bitis gabonica extends west as far as Nigeria, B. rhinoceros takes over from Ghana westward. We are doing some mtDNA work on this species at the moment - gabonica is actually remarkably homogenous all the way from Cameroon to S. Africa.

Cheers,

WW