Puff adder (Bitis arietans)

Short answers

Puff adder: How big does the enclosure need to be?

150×80×80 cm.

Puff adder: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 32–38 °C, at night 18–22 °C.

Puff adder: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB recommended (likes to bask, diurnal), not essential.

Puff adder: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Puff adder: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

32–38 °C

Humidity

40–60 %

UVB

UVB recommended (likes to bask, diurnal), not essential

Enclosure

Minimum size

150×80×80 cm

Substrate

A sand and soil mix with stones, roots and a warm spot; hides in every area

Feeding

Food

Rodents (mice or rats), birds

Feeding interval

adults 1× every 10–14 days (tends to put on fat), juveniles 1× every 7 days

Key facts

Adult size

90–120 cm, sehr kräftig; west- und zentralafrikanische Tiere bis 180 cm

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

Widespread across Africa (savannah and semi-desert) plus the Arabian Peninsula

Protection status

Highly venomous (haemo-/cytotoxic), responsible for many bite incidents in Africa - not CITES-listed; keeping it requires a permit or notification, or is banned outright, depending on the German state.

Brumation

It depends on their origin: equatorial animals need none; southern and northern African populations need 2–3 months cooler (about 23 °C by day / 15–16 °C at night)

Cohabitation

Keep them singly – solitary, and it causes stress; put them together only briefly for supervised breeding

Notes

An ambush hunter, calm but with a lightning-fast strike reflex – a high bite risk despite the sluggish appearance. Clear temperature zoning (a warm spot plus a cooler side). For experts only.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) – Expert
• Horned adder (Bitis caudalis) – Expert
• Rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) – Expert
• West African gaboon viper (Bitis rhinoceros) – Expert
• Peringuey's adder (Bitis peringueyi) – Expert
• Savanna vine snake (Thelotornis capensis) – Expert
• Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) – Expert
• Egyptian saw-scaled viper (Echis pyramidum) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Puff adder (Bitis arietans) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (150×80×80 cm), substrate (A sand and soil mix with stones, roots and a warm spot; hides in every area), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.