The Near and Middle Easi 



small mouth) and are capable of inflicting serious bites 

 on those who attempt to pick them up or who step on 

 them with bare feet. 



Definition: Head short and conical, not distinct from 

 neck, no canthus : snout bmad, flattened, often pointed. 

 Body cylindrical, slender in small individuals, stout in 

 larger ones ; tail short, ending in a distinct .spine. 



Eyes very small ; pupils round. 



Head scales : The usual !) crown scales, rostral en- 

 larged, extending between internasals to some degree, 

 often pointed ; frontal large and broad, supraoculars 

 small. Laterally, nasal in contact with single preocular 

 (no loreal), usually one postocular. 



Body scales: Dorsals smooth without apical pits, in 

 19-37 nonoblique rows at midbody. Vcntrals 17K-370: 

 anal |)late entire or divided (the only viperid snakes 

 with divided anal plates) ; subcaudals single or i)aired, 

 18-39. 



Middle East Mole Vipers, Afracfaspis. 



Idrtitificatiiin: This group of very distinctive snakes 

 has two rei)re.sentatives in the region, the Arabian mole 

 viper (.4. >iiicntlri>i'I(ita aiidfrnoiii) and oasis mi)le viper 

 (-■1. cii(/a(Iilciixin). They are very similar in appearance. 

 Smooth scales, small head not distinct from the neck, 

 and the typical !) crown shields distinguish them 

 from other vipers of the region. Large ventrals ex- 

 tending the width of the belly distinguish them from 

 the burrowing blind snakes and .><and boas. The pointed 

 snout, tiny eyes (diameter less than lialf tlie distance 

 from eye t<i lip), unpaired subcaudals, and overall black- 

 ish color distinguish them from the small <'olubrids of 

 the Middle East. The elongated tubidar venom glands 

 extend through the anterior tiftli of the body. 



The Arabian mole viper has 23 or 25 scale rows at 

 midbody. 210-2.")4 ventrals, and 31 or fewer subcaudals. 

 The oasis mole viper has 27 to 29 .scale rows at mid- 

 body. 2()4-282 ventrals, and 3G to 39 siibcaudals. 



The average length of both species is IS to 25 inches. 



Dintrihiition: The Arabian mole viper occurs in the 

 southwestern part of the Arabian I'eninsula. The oasis 

 mole viper is found in Israel. Sinai and northeastern 

 Egypt. 



Ifrmarks: These are nocturnal burrowing snakes 

 found mainly in oases and in cultivated areas rather 

 than in desert. Authorities who know these snakes in 

 life agree on one point — it is impossible to hold a mole 

 viper safely except with forceps or tongs. The small 

 head, very flexible neck, long fangs and extraordinary 

 ability to use one fang at a time with the jaws almost 

 closed, make them very hazardous to handle. Several 

 of the bites reported have been inflicted on zoologists or 

 others collecting snakes. Most bites have been more un- 

 c'omfortable than alarming, but there have been enough 

 fatalities recorded to confirm the dangerous nature of 

 these snakes. Local pain and swelling are seen regu- 

 larly with mole viper bites. Severe cases show fever, 

 vomiting, and blood in the urine. There is no antivenin. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Bifis Gray, 1842. 

 African vipers. 



Ten species are found in tropical and southern Africa. 

 They include the largest of the true vipers (Viperidae) 

 as well as some small and moderately sized ones ; all of 

 the members of this genus are dangerous, some of them 

 extremely so. The i>uff adder, R. arictiinii. is the only 

 member of this group that enters the region (see p. 101). 



Definition: Head broad and very distinct from nar- 

 row neck : snout short, a distinct canthus. Body some- 

 what depressed, moderately to extremely stout ; tail 

 short. 



Eyes .small ; pupils vertically elliptical. 



Head scales : Xo enlarged plates on crown, covered 

 with small scales. Some species have enlarged and 

 erect scales on snout or above eye. Laterally, rostral 

 .separated from nasal by (in /{. irorthinijtoni) to 6 (in 

 some B. nnsicornis) rows of small scales, eye separated 

 from supralabials by 2-5 rows of small scales. 



Body scales : Dorsals keeled with apical pits, in 21- 

 46 nonoblique or slightly oblique rows at midbody. fewer 

 anteriorly and iKisteriorly. Ventrals rounded or with 

 faint lateral keels, 112-l."i3: subcaudals paired. laterally 

 keeled in some species, 10-37. 



Figure 74. — Desert Horned Viper, Cerastes cerastes. A 

 vicious but not especially dangerous snake. Photo by 

 Standard Oil Company. 



109 



