---
title: "Żmija sykliwa"
description: "Bitis arietans — Gady. The puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a highly venomous viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/puff-adder
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Żmija sykliwa

> Bitis arietans — Gady. The puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a highly venomous viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions.

- Scientific name: *Bitis arietans*
- Category: `reptiles` (Gady)
- Habitats: `grassland` (Łąki i pola), `savanna` (Sawanna)
- iNaturalist observations: 5245
- Wikidata: [Q369667](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q369667)
- iNaturalist taxon: [30851](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/30851)

## Names

- en: Puff Adder
- de: Gemeine Puffotter
- es: Víbora Bufadora
- fr: Vipère heurtante
- nl: Gewone pofadder
- pt: Biúta
- pl: Żmija sykliwa

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (3904), NA (148), KE (129), TZ (110), BW (104), MZ (97), MA (84), ZW (75), ZM (38), MW (33), AO (25), UG (20)

## Summary

The puff adder (Bitis arietans) is a highly venomous viper species found in savannahs and grasslands from Morocco and western Arabia throughout Africa except for the Sahara and rainforest regions. It is responsible for causing the most snakebite fatalities in Africa owing to various factors, such as its wide distribution, frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and aggressive disposition. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
The species is commonly known as the puff adder, African puff adder, or common puff adder.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puff_adder

## Photo

![Żmija sykliwa](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/puff-adder/medium.jpg)

Photo: rosshawkins · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/101638320

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/puff-adder?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).