ALBANY ADDER I
photography, edition of six

123 x 69 cm

2022

"This extremely rare snake was thought to be extinct — until a recent expedition revealed four living individuals. 
 

The Albany adder, also known as the ‘eastern hornsman adder’, is a viper sub-species found only in South Africa. Its range is restricted to the eastern and southern Cape Province and it was considered potentially extinct until just recently.
 

An expedition comprised of members from the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the Rainforest Trust (RT) ensued in November that involved scouring the Cape area in search of the mysterious serpent. These small snakes measure less than a foot in length and boast exquisitely patterned reddish brown bodies. They lack the typical ‘viper’ horns found over the eyes and instead have large bulges.
 

This team of scientists found five out of only twelve individuals that have been identified since the discovery of the species in 1937. Four of them were living specimens while one had been killed by a vehicle." (source: Roaring Earth)