Peringuey’s adder (Bitis peringueyi) is one of the world’s most specialised desert snakes and the primary snake target of the Living Desert tour near Swakopmund. The snake is small (20 to 35cm), pale sandy-brown with darker spots, and completely at home in the soft dune sand that would trap most other reptiles.
The Sidewinding Motion
The sidewinding locomotion is the defining characteristic. Rather than moving forward in a straight line, the snake throws its body in a series of lateral loops, each loop lifting from the sand and placing down in a new position. The result is a diagonal direction of travel with only two points of the body in contact with the sand at any time. This minimises contact with the hot sand surface and maximises speed in loose substrate where conventional serpentine movement would simply dig the snake into the sand.
The track left in the sand is the primary search tool on the Living Desert tour: a series of parallel J-shaped marks at regular intervals across the dune surface, indicating direction of travel and approximate recency.
Finding One
The track is found before the snake. The guide identifies fresh tracks (recent disturbance of the sand surface, clean edges, no wind-fill) and follows the direction of travel. The snake is typically found at the end of the track, buried shallowly in the sand with eyes at or just below the surface level, watching for prey.
The burial posture is called periscoping: the snake submerges its body while keeping its eyes at surface level, simultaneously hiding from predators and watching for prey. The eyes are positioned on top of the head rather than on the sides, specifically adapted for this surface-level surveillance.
Safety
Peringuey’s adder is venomous but not considered dangerous to humans under normal circumstances. The venom is cytotoxic and produces local swelling and pain but is not typically life-threatening. The snake is docile and does not bite unless deliberately provoked or handled carelessly. Living Desert tour guides handle the snake briefly for observation purposes; this is done safely and the snake is released unharmed.