uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
Wildlife
Puff Adder
Bitis arietans
Bitis arietans is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rain forest regions.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Records3,670 records
Curve from 3,670 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Puff Adder is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
3,672 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Puff Adder
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
From R 350a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 17,500a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
From R 17,400a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
From R 10,670a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 11,980a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Singita Sweni Lodge
Kruger National Park
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
Marloth Nature Reserve
Marloth Nature Reserve
From R 1,180a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Cederberg - Kliphuis
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 180a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Singita Lebombo Lodge
Kruger National Park
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
Gamkaberg Campsite
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 230a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Algeria Cottages
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 1,990a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
Stable Rooms
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 320a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Ou Kraal
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,600a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Izingwe Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
Xami Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,520a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Fossil Ridge Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Inzalo Safari Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
Sweetthorn Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Tierkloof Eco Lodge
Gamkaberg Nature Reserve
From R 1,320a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Makulu Birders Cottage at Wilds Uitvlugt
Rust de Winter
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
Rietdak Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 1,580a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Waenhuis Cottage
Cederberg Wilderness Area
From R 960a night
Puff Adder recorded here
Lehele Lodge at Gondwana Game Reserve
Gondwana Game Reserve
Price on request
Puff Adder recorded here
The Drakensberg
Next stop
Sandstone amphitheatres and cool mountain air
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Puff Adder
Hosts have recorded the Puff Adder at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area and Anysberg Nature Reserve.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uKhahlamba-Drakensberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| Cederberg Wilderness Area | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- After dark and around dawn. The Puff Adder is mostly active at night, so a night drive gives the best chance.
- Daytime, resting. Usually out of sight in cover, a burrow or water.
Where to base yourself
Western Cape
Cederberg Wilderness Area · Anysberg · Gamkaberg
Western CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Western CapeKwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-NatalLimpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in Limpopo
Eastern Cape
Addo Elephant · Tsitsikamma
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Bitis arietans
Records
3,672
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Puff Adder on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Puff Adder in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Puff Adder at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Cederberg Wilderness Area, Anysberg Nature Reserve, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Kruger National Park and other reserves. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Puff Adder in South Africa?
The Puff Adder is most recorded in Western Cape (52% of records), Eastern Cape (12% of records), Limpopo (10% of records), based on 3,672 iNaturalist observations. 70 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Puff Adder on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Puff Adder?
The Puff Adder is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Cederberg Wilderness Area: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct; Anysberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Gamkaberg Nature Reserve: Autumn and spring, Mar-May, Sep-Nov. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Puff Adder?
Bitis arietans is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rain forest regions. It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition.
