Limpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
Big FiveSelf-driveGuided drives
Stays in LimpopoWhere to see
Where to see the Puff Adder in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Puff Adder at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kruger National Park and uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park.
Bitis arietans
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Puff Adder
Hosts have recorded the Puff Adder at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kruger National Park and uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Kruger | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
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
- Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Royal Natal · Weenen
KwaZulu-NatalSelf-driveStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Western Cape
Table Mountain · Gondwana · Garden Route
Western CapeBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Northern Cape
Kgalagadi
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern 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 Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kruger National Park, uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Table Mountain National Park, Gondwana Game Reserve and Tsitsikamma 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. 32 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. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Kruger National Park: Apr-Sep; uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Table Mountain National Park: Sep-Apr, flowers Aug-Oct. 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.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Puff Adder
Every stay on the Puff Adder page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay