Somehow, a Gaboon viper \u2014 whose home is the tropics of central and western Africa \u2014 was on the loose Monday in a Southern California neighborhood, police say.<\/p>\n
The sighting of the extremely venomous viper, which has the longest fangs<\/a> of any snake in the world, spurred the Santa Ana Police Department to issue a public advisory accompanied by exclamation points.<\/p>\n The alarming reptile was \u201clast seen in a tree within a residential neighborhood near Main Street and Edinger Avenue,\u201d according to the department\u2019s warning to the public.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are asking the public to please be aware of your surroundings. If you see the snake, DO NOT approach or attempt to handle it,\u201d the department said in a post<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n Anyone who spots the snake is asked to provide the location to the department by calling 714-834-4211.<\/p>\n The viper, which has two hornlike projections<\/a> on its snout, feeds mainly on rodents and ground-dwelling birds. It\u2019s known for striking and then holding on until its prey dies.<\/p>\n The vipers are considered to be placid. According to<\/a> the Smithsonian\u2019s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, \u201cMost bites occur when the snake is stepped on before it has an opportunity to get away.\u201d<\/p>\n And if hungry, it will strike \u201cat almost any sideways movement.\u201d<\/p>\n Females give birth to 50 to 60 live young, according to the institute.<\/p>\n