Gaboon viper

There are more than 250 kinds of vipers, a family of venomous snakes. The largest of all is the Gaboon viper. At six feet long, this massive viper is a ferocious predator that hunts birds, frogs, and many small mammals in the tropical forests of Africa. When the Gaboon viper strikes, its huge fangs deliver a toxic venom that destroys its victim's nerves, tissues, and blood cells. Its prey escapes… but not for long.

Image credits: main image, © AMNH.