First off, this is hilarious, but secondly, the artist’s name is Bill Flowers and he literally goes by The Snake Artist because he just does a bunch of paintings like this.
He’s also apparently a “venomous snake wrangler.” He’s Australian, which I feel explains a lot.
mostly just ‘OUUGHOHOHOHOOOOO’ if we’re being totally honest here
Their defense seems to be looking like a smaller snake
their other main defense is that they have the longest fangs of any snake in the world, at over one and a half inches long!
they also have potent venom and LOTS of it, meaning a single gaboon viper is carrying enough poison punch in those cute liddle cheeks to kill upwards of 30 adult humans.
luckily though, having the snake equivalent of a nuclear arsenal in their face just makes them… super chill, actually. bites to humans from gaboon vipers are ASTONISHINGLY rare, and even stepping on one with your giant human feet doesn’t necessarily guarantee a retaliatory bite! (though it for sure hurts the snake’s feelings, so watch where you step)
they’re so chill, in fact, that scientists who study them have been known to just pick the dang things up barehanded and stuff them into specimen boxes that way, though I super do not recommend you do this.
basically: GOOD SNAKE, BEST FRIEND, LEAVE THEM ALONE AND THEY’LL BE CHILL
Onyx doesn’t get as much love as my more flashy western hognoses, but he’s gorgeous and has such a good temperament! Sometimes simplicity is the best when it comes to snake morphs
ifesbob 