Horned Adder

During an early morning quad bike excursion, we noticed undisturbed tracks of what I first thought was a sidewinder. In the windless morning it was difficult to tell how fresh they were, but the general conditions seemed perfect for such a snake to be sunning itself after a chilly night. Sure enough, as we entered the dunes from the grassy plains, we saw clear tracks of a snake moving horizontally up the steep slope. We got off our bikes and followed on foot. And after a short while, we found the snake curled up next to a clump of Bushman Grass. We couldn't believe our luck! Looking more closely, it turned out to be a Horned Adder (a first for me!) in the process of shedding its skin. The side-winding action seems to be the preferred mode of locomotion for snakes over the slippery dunes. We spent about half an hour observing the adder, before it moved off further into the grass.

Posted: Sossusvlei by Phill Steffny, Date: 15 August 2010