Gaboon Adder vs. Rat | National Geographic

so you want to be a gaboon adder well
first of all you’ll have to move to the
rainforest in the equatorial belt of
tropical Africa your thick six foot long
body will sport beautiful geometric
patterns perfect for blending in on the
forest floor and as you age you’ll grow
a pair of decorative horn like scales
from your snow you’re a passive hunter
able to sit perfectly still until your
next meal arrives a scent of fresh rat
brings you to full alert your prey spans
its last moments blissfully unaware of
your presence
you’re efficient accurate and deadly
your victim makes a run for it but it
doesn’t stand a chance
as if it were a match for the likes of a
gaboon adder like yourself all you have
to do is follow the scent trail of your
mortally wounded prey you wait until
your meal is completely inert I mean
what’s the point of getting bitten for
nothing your venom has already started
the eating process by jesting the wrasse
tissues from the inside out now here’s
where you stand out in the pantheon of
snake ttan as you ingest your booty you
reveal the most impressive bags of any
snake in the world two inches long and
capable of flicking open like
switchblades to draw the rat into your
body like a lot of your serpentine
counterparts you unhinge your jaw so you
can swallow the rat in one gigantic Gulf
you inject massive amounts of venom more
than any other snake alive and enough to
kill a human but you rarely do that
swallowing a rat is one thing but a
human – huh heartburn City nope you’ll
stick with rats hmm
the tail the best part
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