Hi all…today’s photo is one of those that most people would not like to be in the situation to be able to take this shot. But this is what I do and do what I need to (respecting the animals and park rules ALWAYS!) in order to get the shot I want. This puff adder is in his ‘ready-to-strike’ defensive position which is not a position you want them to be in when you find them, that’s for sure. There are lots around here though so you need to take care when walking around the park as they are lazy and rely on camouflage for protection. They will sometimes hiss loudly if you are disturbing them which is a great warning to you to get out of its area as quickly as possible. They have a triangular head and strike with such force that they say that most of its prey die from the trauma alone and not necessarily the venom. This snake is responsible for more deaths than any other African snake so please treat them with respect and lots of caution. They have cytotoxic venom which is injected deeply because of the size of their fangs. This venom attacks and destroys tissue and blood cells which presents itself as painful and fast swelling. You can almost see the venom on its tongue in the photo I have shared with you. It looks like it has an almost ultra-violet coating on it. These are the things you have to remember when in the bush-you are just visiting and the animals here are serious and do not play around. Please respect this so that everyone can enjoy visiting these places for a long time to come…enjoy…Let me know what you think…cheers until tomorrow.