Nigeria is home to a diverse array of snakes, some of which are venomous. It’s essential to distinguish fact from fiction and understand these creatures to coexist safely. This article introduces you to some of Nigeria’s most venomous snakes in an easy-to-understand manner.
When discussing snakes, it's important to use the correct terminology. Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. While they are dangerous, venomous refers to the ability to inject toxins through a bite.
Illustration of Snake Fangs Anatomy
How to treat a snake bite | First Aid | St John WA
Most Common Snakes in Nigeria
The snakes in Nigeria are very different from each other. They range from venomous species to snakes that use constriction to immobilize their prey. In addition, certain snakes are common to find living around people. Here are some of the most common snakes you can expect to see in Nigeria:
1. Puff Adder (Bitis arietans)
Puff Adder
Read also: Venomous Snakes: A South African Guide
This ill-tempered native snake roams savannas, grasslands, and densely populated areas. The Puff Adder gets its name from how it inflates itself when threatened. Its distinctive chevron pattern in yellow, white, and brown colors allows the Puff Adder to blend into its surroundings. This camouflage is particularly useful for its lifestyle as an ambush predator.
The Puff Adder’s venom contains a cytotoxin that can kill a healthy adult human within a day. Their potent venom and tendency to loiter around footpaths make this snake one to avoid.
2. Boomslang (Dispholidus typus)
Boomslang
Coloration varies greatly, allowing these snakes to camouflage in different terrains. Boomslangs have an egg-shaped head and notably large eyes. This slender snake in Nigeria makes its home in low-lying trees. In fact, its common name Boomslang means “tree snake” in Afrikaans and Dutch.
This snake’s venom is highly potent, causing bleeding and death for humans, even in small doses. When confronted, the Boomslang will freeze and then swing its head from side to side before quickly attacking. Fortunately, Boomslangs won’t attack humans except as a last resort. If you are bitten, seek immediate treatment.
Read also: Identifying Moroccan Snakes
3. Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus)
Spotted Bush Snake
The upper half of the body can be yellow, green, or blue, while the tail-end is brown. You might also find black spots or stripes. You might encounter the Spotted Bush Snake in Nigeria in forested areas or suburban gardens. These beautifully-patterned snakes have keeled, or ridged, belly scales, allowing them to easily climb walls, trees, and bushes.
Often misidentified as the more dangerous Green Mamba, Spotted Bush Snakes are non-venomous and harmless to humans. Spotted Bush Snakes are alert, nervous animals and will immediately flee upon sensing danger. They don’t have established territories and are noted to travel far and wide in pursuit of their prey.
4. Red-lipped Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia)
Red-lipped Snake
This snake can grow to 70-100 cm (28-39 in) long. Coloration is usually olive green or gray on the back, sometimes speckled white. Its head is notably black. The head is broad and triangular, while the tail is short.
Read also: Deadly Snakes: South Africa Guide
You’ll find Red-lipped Snakes near marshlands, bogs, and lowland forests in Nigeria. They also gravitate towards the suburbs, so you might bump into one in your backyard after an evening rain. Most active during the night, these land snakes prey on amphibians such as toads and frogs. Their venom is mild, effective only on their chosen prey, and harmless to humans. Don’t test your luck, though. Red-lipped snakes have a trigger-happy temper when provoked.
5. Ball Python (Python regius)
Ball Python
They have small heads and thin necks. Ball Pythons can be black or brown-bodied with light and dark blotches on the back. As you might have guessed from its name, the Ball Python is more likely to curl into a ball than bite if threatened. However, because of their docile behavior, many people choose to keep them as pets.
Unfortunately, the pet trade has wreaked havoc on their worldwide distribution. Because of poaching, habitat destruction, and egg hunting for trade, Ball Pythons are listed as a Near Threatened species by the IUCN. In the wild, the smaller males hunt birds and bats in trees, while the larger females hunt rodents or small mammals on land. Both males and females incapacitate their prey with crushing constriction, then swallow it whole.
6. Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje)
Egyptian Cobra
Coloration varies geographically, but the most common is brown. The Egyptian Cobra is as deadly as it is famous. It can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where Pharaohs used it to symbolize their power to take life. Today, you’ll find this snake in Nigeria swimming in shallow waters or resting in abandoned animal burrows.
The venom of the Egyptian Cobra has neurotoxins and cytotoxins that assault the nervous system. Respiratory failure and death may happen in the worst-case scenario. The venom is slow-acting, so seek treatment if you get bitten, even if you don’t immediately show symptoms. Foraging for food sometimes brings the Egyptian Cobra to human settlements. However, it will favor escaping if confronted.
7. Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica)
Gaboon Viper
Incredibly, they can grow up to 6 cm (2.3 in) long. Interestingly, its fangs aren’t the only unusual thing about this species. It also has the highest venom yield of any snake worldwide because of its hunting style. Watch your step because this nocturnal viper has near-perfect camouflage. It’s practically invisible amid fallen leaves on the forest floor and can remain motionless for hours hunting small birds and mammals.
The Gaboon Viper’s venom can be fatal in large doses or cause severe necrosis in the bite area. Fortunately, bite incidents are rare.
8. Central African Rock Python (Python sebae)
Central African Rock Python
Striped blotches decorate the body, colored olive, brown, or yellow. The Central African Rock Python is the longest snake in Nigeria! Central African Rock Pythons may be non-venomous, but don’t let that give you a false sense of security. This species is strong enough to kill a human with its powerful constriction.
Unlike most snakes, Central African Rock Pythons are protective mothers. They fiercely guard their nest after laying eggs, protecting their young from predators and lashing out at unsuspecting passersby.
9. Blanding’s Tree Snake (Toxicodryas blandingii)
Blanding’s Tree Snake
Vertical slits punctuate their large, dark eyes. The Blanding’s Tree Snake makes its home in rainforests and wooded savannas south of the Sahara desert. This rear-fanged snake hunts by moving slowly across intertwining branches to inspect the cracks and hollows of trunks. You might chance upon it in parks and gardens searching for prey.
Occasionally, this snake wanders inside buildings to hunt roosting bats. It inflates its body and opens its mouth wide as a warning before striking.
10. Emerald Snake (Gastropyxis smaragdina)
Emerald Snake
The short head is strongly arched between the eyes. As an arboreal species, the Emerald Snake in Nigeria spends most of its life climbing, hunting, and traveling from tree to tree. Its deep green camouflage and slender vine-like appearance make it nearly invisible among vines and foliage!
Emerald Snakes have a particularly interesting defense mechanism that starts with inflating the skin of its neck. Once inflated, a pattern of black skin, light blue spots, and green scales are revealed, startling and confusing the predator. Emerald Snakes are non-venomous and non-aggressive, but their bites may cause rashes and itchiness.
11. Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca)
A. Morph #1 (for forests): Glossy black body with broad cross-bars and blotches. There are black and white bars on the lips.
B. Morph #2 (for savannas): The body has black and yellow bands with a black tail.
C. Morph #3 (for coastal plains): Black body fades to brown towards the tail. The belly is creamy yellow and heavily speckled.
If you want to avoid this snake in Nigeria, don’t go peeking around holes in the ground! This DANGEROUS venomous species likes to nest in burrows. The Forest Cobra is the largest cobra species in the world, attaining lengths of 140-320 cm (55-126 in), and prefers living in wet woods.
These snakes eat a wide variety of food. Being semi-aquatic, they sometimes enjoy hunting for fish and amphibians. But they also spend time hunting rodents, lizards, and other snakes on land. However, tree-dwellers aren’t safe either. The Forest cobra will nimbly climb trees to eat insects and bird eggs.
A bite from a Forest Cobra delivers large quantities of highly potent venom, capable of killing a human within 30 minutes.
12. Brown House Snake (Boaedon fuliginosus)
Brown House Snake
Adults average a length of 60-150 cm (24-59 in). The Brown House Snake is one of the most common snakes in Nigeria. Its name hints at its habit of visiting homes, which is where most people see this species. However, this nocturnal snake can also thrive in woodlands, savannas, scrublands, and grasslands.
Brown House Snakes seek small mammals and reptiles as a food source. They put their prey into a stranglehold and swallow them whole without chewing. Luckily, the Brown House Snake is non-venomous and timid.
13. Black-necked Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricollis)
Black-necked Spitting Cobra
Look for these snakes in Nigeria near streams and rivers in savannas. Black-necked Spitting Cobras are highly adaptable and can be active day or night. When confronting possible threats, Black-necked Spitting Cobras rise from the ground and spread their impressive neck hoods. Then, true to their name, they will spit venom to blind their aggressors.
Black-necked Spitting Cobra bites can cause symptoms such as swelling, blistering, extreme pain, and loss of limb function.
Venomous Snake Families in Nigeria
Four families of venomous snakes are found in Nigeria: Viperidae, Elapidae, Colubridae, and Actraspididae. However, three species-carpet viper (Echis ocellatus), black-necked spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis), and puff adder (Bitis arietans)-belonging to the first two families, are the most significant snakes associated with envenoming in Nigeria.
The incidence of bites has been reported as 497 per 100,000 population per year with a 12 percent natural mortality, with Echis ocellatus accounting for at least 66 percent in certain foci.
Snake Bite Symptoms and Treatment
Bites occur more often while victims were farming, herding, or walking, although the spitting cobra may bite victims who roll upon it in their sleep. Carpet viper venom contains a prothrombin activating procoagulant, haemorrhagin, and cytolytic fractions which cause haemorrhage, incoagulable blood, shock, and local reactions/necrosis.
The spitting cobra bite manifests with local tissue reaction and occasionally with bleeding from the site of bite, but no classic neurotoxic feature has been observed except following Egyptian cobra (N. haje) bites. Cardiotoxicity and renal failure may occasionally occur following bites by the carpet viper and the puff adder.
In the laboratory, haematological and other features are noted, and immunodiagnosis has a role in species identification. Immobilisation of the bitten limb is probably the single most important first aid measure. Antivenom should be used cautiously when indicated.
As only 8.5 percent of snake bite victims attend hospitals in Nigeria, health education should be the main preventive measure. Meanwhile, the study of immunisation of occupationally predisposed individuals in endemic areas should be intensified.
| Snake Species | Venom Type | Common Symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet Viper (Echis ocellatus) | Procoagulant, Haemorrhagin, Cytolytic | Haemorrhage, Incoagulable blood, Shock, Local necrosis |
| Black-necked Spitting Cobra (Naja nigricollis) | Cytotoxic | Local tissue reaction, Bleeding from bite site |
| Egyptian Cobra (Naja haje) | Neurotoxic, Cytotoxic | Respiratory failure |
| Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) | Cytotoxic | Cardiotoxicity, Renal failure |
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