The berg adder – Bitis atropos – is a smallish adder, averaging 30 – 40 cm but reaching a maximum length of 60 cm. It is usually grey to brown with darker paired semicircle or triangle patterns along the back. Brick-red individuals are quite common in the Mpumalanga mountains. It may be mistaken for a small puff adder, but the patterns are paired down the back and not chevrons like a puff adder. As the common name indicates, it favours mountainous areas and occurs from sea level at Betties Bay in the Western Cape to elevations exceeding 3 000 m in the Drakensberg mountains.
There are four major populations of berg adders – those in the Cape fold mountains, the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, the Mpumalanga and Limpopo Drakensberg and another population in eastern Zimbabwe.
This little snake is commonly found basking on footpaths, amongst grass tufts or along rocky ridges and shelters under rocks. It may be quite common in montane grasslands around areas like Graskop, Sabie and Lekgalameetse. It is particularly bad-tempered, and will hiss loudly and strike repeatedly when approached.
Berg adder venom differs from that of most of the other adders, in that it is neurotoxic and cytotoxic. The muscles in the victim’s face are especially targeted and drooping eyelids, dilated pupils, slurred speech and blurred vision are common symptoms. Breathing becomes difficult after a few hours and most patients need to be ventilated, however deaths have not been reported.
Bites from the berg adder can be extremely dangerous, and patients should be hospitalised sooner rather than later. As for first aid, there is little that can be done. Patients should be immobilised and safely transported to a hospital as soon as possible. Unfortunately bites often occur whilst people are out hiking in the mountains, and are often a number of hours from a car and medical assistance.
As there is no antivenom for berg adder bites, doctors will treat the symptoms. Pilocarpine (a medication to treat increased pressure inside the eye and dry mouth) may be required to manage dilated pupils, and respiratory support is necessary in most cases. Adequate hydration using normal saline is important and will speed up recovery from hyponatremia.
These snakes generally give off a warning hiss before moving off into thick grass or under rocks, but occasionally people stand on them or sit on them whilst taking a break, so be cautious when out hiking in the mountains!
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