Primarily nocturnal, they hide during the day in leaf litter, in holes, around fallen trees or tangled roots of forest trees.
Their vivid coloration actually gives them excellent camouflage in the dappled light conditions of the forest floor, making them almost invisible.
Although mainly terrestrial, they are also known to climb into trees and thickets, where they have been found up to 3 m (9.8 ft) above the ground.
This climbing behavior is aided by a partially prehensile tail.
They are sometimes found in shallow pools and have been described as powerful swimmers.

They are slow moving, but capable of striking quickly, forwards or sideways, without coiling first or giving a warning.
Holding them by the tail is not safe; as it is somewhat prehensile, they can use it to fling themselves upwards and strike.

They have been described as generally placid creatures, less so than B. gabonica, but not as bad-tempered as B. arietans.
When approached, they often reveal their presence by hissing, said to be the loudest hiss of any African snake—almost a shriek.
Primarily nocturnal, they hide during the day in leaf litter, in holes, around fallen trees or tangled roots of forest trees. Their vivid coloration actually gives them excellent camouflage in the dappled light conditions of the forest floor, making them almost invisible. Although mainly terrestrial, they are also known to climb into trees and thickets, where they have been found up to 3 m (9.8 ft) above the ground. This climbing behavior is aided by a partially prehensile tail. They are sometimes found in shallow pools and have been described as powerful swimmers.
They are slow moving, but capable of striking quickly, forwards or sideways, without coiling first or giving a warning. Holding them by the tail is not safe; as it is somewhat prehensile, they can use it to fling themselves upwards and strike.
They have been described as generally placid creatures, less so than B. gabonica, but not as bad-tempered as B. arietans. When approached, they often reveal their presence by hissing, said to be the loudest hiss of any African snake—almost a shriek.
Bitis nasicornis