Story By: Arian Movileanu, Sub-Editor: James King,  Agency: Newsflash

A venomous viper has climbed onto a kayak as a young man was paddling along the Parana River in Argentina.

The incident took place in Balneario La Florida near the city of Rosario in the northern Argentine province of Santa Fe.

Alejandro Ponce de Leon said he was paddling along the Parana River when a venomous yarara (Bothrops Alternatus), a pit viper species found in South America, suddenly climbed onto the front of his kayak.

He said he took photos of the unusual incident before attempting to take the dangerous snake back to shore.

Alejandro said the viper felt threatened when he paddled quickly so he had to go slowly to calm the reptile down.

After a while, he said the pit viper started to glide towards him and he decided to hop out of the kayak and swim the rest of the way.

During period of heavy rainfall and river flooding, it is common for yararas to venture along the river in search of dry land.

Swimming consumes a lot of energy, so they look for a place to climb up and rest, however it is not considered common for a viper to climb on top of a kayak.

It is recommended to remain calm and not make any sudden movements when encountering a yarara as they only attack when feeling threatened.

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