A small adder averaging around 30 cm with a maximum length of 44 cm. The Red Adder is endemic to the Western Cape and adjacent Northern Cape as well as the western Eastern Cape where it inhabits rocky mountain slopes and gravel flats in the Klein Karoo and Fynbos.
Full Name: Red Adder (Bitis rubida)
Other Names: Rooiadder
Classification: VENOMOUS
A small adder averaging around 30 cm with a maximum length of 44 cm. The Red Adder is endemic to the Western Cape and adjacent Northern Cape as well as the western Eastern Cape where it inhabits rocky mountain slopes and gravel flats in the Klein Karoo and Fynbos. Like many other small adders, it is largely active in the early mornings and late afternoons and is fond of hiding under shrubs or rocks.
The horns, if present, are highly reduced. It feeds on lizards, mainly geckos, skinks, agamas and lacertids but also takes small rodents. The venom of this snake is thought to be like that of other small adders, causing pain and swelling.
