The National Zoological Gardens of South Africa Announces the Birth of 18 Puff Adder Youngsters

By Angeliné Schwan

Pretoria, South Africa - Visitors to the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, in Pretoria, were treated to a rare spectacle last week with the birth of 18 Puff adder youngsters. Manager of Commercial Services and Business Development, Craig Allenby says, “We are delighted that all went so well and the lucky visitors to the zoo on this day had the once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness this species of snake giving birth”.

The female took around 3 hours to complete the birth of her 18 babies. Adds Allenby, “The successful breeding of the Puff Adders and several other reptiles already this year is testament to the skill and dedication of the reptile park conservation staff. The breeding of even fairly widespread species like the Puff Adder is an important part of us gaining and refining the skills that we use for breeding our rare and threatened species for conservation at the National Zoo.”

The mother and the youngsters have been taken off display temporarily to ensure the health of the reptiles.

Puff adders are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. This is different from many other snakes that lay eggs. The young are highly venomous and can inflict a serious bite if confronted. Puff adder venom is cytotoxic. Once the venom enters the body plasma (white blood cells) is sent to the site of the bite to try and dilute the venom. However, excessive amounts of plasma sent to the site causes the body tissues to swell up to the degree where the veins are compressed tightly up against the skin, resulting in loss of blood circulation. The area that swells up will often turns a blackish-blue color from lack of blood flow. If not treated promptly, the victim could face limb amputation after only four hours prior to the bite.

To view  National Zoological Gardens of South Africa's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor News, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-2476-National_Zoological_Gardens_of_South_Africa