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Kenya Horned Viper — Fact Sheet

Bitis worthingtoni · Kenya Horned Viper

📋 At a glance

Adult sizeUsually 20-35 cm; exceptional maximum about 50 cm
LifespanAbout 12-18 years; captive data are limited
TaxonomyNo subspecies; sole species of proposed subgenus Keniabitis
OriginPatchy central Kenyan Rift Valley highlands above about 1,500 m
ActivityCathemeral; shifts with highland weather
DifficultyExpert; licensed specialist/institutional, display-only
LegalCITES Appendix II; EU Annex B; Kenyan wild collection/export prohibited; local rules apply

🏠 Enclosure

  • Locked primary enclosure inside an access-controlled escape-proof room.
  • Minimum 120 x 60 x 75 cm for one adult; solitary.
  • Two compartments or a positively lockable full-body shift; newborn-proof gaps.
  • 6-10 cm mineral soil/sand with dry grass patches; paper in quarantine.
  • Quarantine at least 90 days with dedicated tools and CITES/parentage records.
  • Protected contact only; two trained adults at openings, never free-handle.

🪨 Enclosure furniture

  • Secure warm and cool hides plus ventilated humid refuge.
  • Low dense cover, anchored broad branch/shelf, fixed stones and clear inspection lane.
  • Protected shallow water access.
  • No unstable rock, inaccessible tussocks or weak branches.

💡 Lighting

  • UVB recommended: measured Ferguson Zone 2 over part of the warm zone.
  • Bright white visible light with complete grass/hide shade.
  • 10-14 hours seasonally; darkness at night.

🌡️ Temperature

  • Basking surface: 28-31 °C

  • Ambient: 20-25 °C

  • Cool refuge: 16-21 °C

  • Night: 12-18 °C

  • Preserve the Rift-highland gradient and night drop.

  • Thermostat, guard, probe and alarm all heat.

💧 Humidity & water

  • Ambient 45-65%; shed refuge 65-75% with dry main surfaces.
  • Stable shallow fresh-water bowl exchanged through protected access.
  • Ventilate; never keep the enclosure saturated.
  • Repeated soaking or poor shed → review heat, hydration, mites and disease.

🐁 Diet

Feed freely:

  • Growing juveniles: appropriately small frozen-thawed mice every 7-14 days if established.

In moderation:

  • Adults: small frozen-thawed mice every 14-21 days, guided by gram weights.

Avoid:

  • Live rodents, wild-caught prey, force-feeding, oversized meals and loose feeding tubs.

Supplements:

  • None routinely with complete whole vertebrate prey.

🩺 Health — warning signs

  • Persistent hiding, restlessness or dehydration → overheating.
  • Rapid weight loss or thick body → poor feeding schedule or disease.
  • Incomplete shed or concentrated urates → hydration problem.
  • Wheeze, bubbles or open-mouth breathing → respiratory disease.
  • Oral swelling, mites or abnormal faeces → stomatitis or parasites.
  • Broken CITES/parentage chain → legal and conservation emergency.

Shift and secure before veterinary care. Maintain written bite, escape and hospital plans; there is no home treatment.