Vipers in the Table Mountains National Park

The common viper can be found quite often in our Park because it can find here the prefect conditions. Vipers love warm rocks with many nooks and crannies in which they can easily hide. Active by day, they bask on rocks or forest paths or meadows. Vipers eat rodents, sometimes lizards, bird chicks and frogs. Their biggest enemy of the viper is man. The snake will usually escape, it attacks only as a last resort or when surprised. Viper’s venom is used primarily for hunting, and only secondary for defense. The bite of a viper is usually not a threat to an adult, most often the first bite is the so-called "blind shot". The viper can be easily recognized by the characteristic dark zigzag running along it’s spine (Cain band), visible even in young animals. It rarely reaches 90 cm in length. The weight of an adult viper reaches approx. 200g.

In our Park, you won’t find a python or a sea snake, but you can meet vipers in three colors!

In the Park we encounter three colour variations of the common viper:

• brown (in shades from brick to dark brown),

• gray (silver gray or graphite) and

• black. This variety belongs to the rarest ones. In some countries, this form is commonly called the hell's viper.

During your search, watch out for these animals, do not leave the trails, do not look under the rocks and in the piles of branches. (all caches in our area are hidden in places where you won’t disturb nature, especially vipers!)

• Walking on the tourist trail is the safest for you and for nature... do not go beyond the trail. The trail has the most beautiful views. Do not take shortcuts.
• Inhale the fresh mountain air, do not smoke.
• The rocks around you are not good climbing material, let go of them. There is no cache there.
• Stones and minerals lie here for millions of years ... leave them for the next generations. Do not collect and mine rocks and minerals.
• If you're are here with your dog, your friend will be safer on a leash.

• Nature lives in symbiosis - do not destroy and do not collect plants, fruit or undergrowth.
• Animals live here in the wild, it's their home. Respect their calmness, do not frigten them, do not seize the animals, do not feed them.
• Enjoy the silence and the sounds of the nature - keep quiet, do not shout, do not sing, do not use radio receivers, do not play music. Let others enjoy the mountains, do not disturb the rest of the people.
• Whatever you brought – take it with you. Take away rubbish with you and leave in designated places near the shelter or entrances to the trail.