Editing Gaboon viper (section)

==Taxonomy==
The Gaboon viper was described in 1854 as ''Echidna gabonica''.<ref>[[Duméril A-M-C]], [[Bibron G]], [[Auguste Duméril|Duméril A]]. 1854. ''Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. &mdash; Deuxième partie. Comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux.'' Paris: Roret. xii + pp.&nbsp;781–1536. (''[https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32501791 Echidna gabonica]'', pp.&nbsp;1428–1430.)</ref>

Lenk ''et al.'' (1999) discovered genetic differences between the two conventionally recognized subspecies of ''B. g. gabonica'' and ''B. g. rhinoceros''. According to their research, these two subspecies are as genetically different from each other as they are from ''[[Bitis nasicornis|B. nasicornis]]''. Consequently, they regard the western form as a separate species, ''[[Bitis rhinoceros|B. rhinoceros]]''.<ref name="WWH">[http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/Updates/Viperinae1999.htm Venomous Snake Systematics Alert – 1999 Publications] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904072800/http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/Updates/Viperinae1999.htm |date=2006-09-04 }} at [http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ Homepage of Dr. Wolfgang Wüster]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060925070717/http://biology.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |date=September 25, 2006 }} of the University of Wales, Bangor. Accessed 3 September 2006.</ref>

The snake's common names include Gaboon viper, butterfly adder, forest puff adder, whisper,<ref name="Mal03">Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. {{ISBN|0-89464-877-2}}.</ref> swampjack,<ref name="Mal03"/> and Gaboon adder.<ref name="SB95"/><ref name="Got">Gotch AF. 1986. ''Reptiles – Their Latin Names Explained''. Poole, UK: Blandford Press. 176 pp. {{ISBN|0-7137-1704-1}}.</ref>

Originally a name given by the [[Portugal|Portuguese]], ''Gabon'' (''Gabão'') refers to the estuary on which the town of [[Libreville]] was built, in [[Gabon]], and to a narrow strip of territory on either bank of this arm of the sea. As of 1909, ''Gaboon'' referred to the northern portion of [[French Congo]], south of the equator and lying between the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and 12°E longitude.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06328c.htm Gaboon] at [http://www.newadvent.org/ New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia]. Accessed 8 July 2007.</ref>