One of the two snakes that really scare me in Africa (the other one being the Black Mamba). It is responsible for a lot of bites (and deaths) as it is too lazy to move away and too well camouflaged to be seen easily. I was called by my gardener one lunch time as he had spotted a snake in the Head teacher’s garden. I was really surprised to find this fat puff adder coiled at the base of a small tree. I took my litter picker and placed it in a bucket. I then went to another part of the campus to photograph it. I had never seen one with such an orange colour. It was released in Lake Nakuru National Park by rangers of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). Before its capture, it had bitten the Head teachers dog (cross between a St Bernard and another big dog), and the dog had to have injections of anti-venom.
Nikon D700, Nikon 70-300mm VR, F5.6, 1/1600th, ISO 400, handheld
Date: 12/09/2011
Location: Greensteds International School, Nakuru, Kenya
Photographer: Arnaud Germain
