The Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) a highly venomous snake that together with the Mozambique Spitting, Cobra accounts for the majority of serious snake bites in Southern Africa. As the common name suggests, when threatened the Puff Adder will begin hissing and puffing by rapidly inhaling and exhaling air serving as an early warning system not to mess with it. | African Snakebite Institute