Poijonoos Snolies of the World 



VIPERIDAE: Genuj Corosfes Laurenti, 1768. 



lllXIU'll vi|HTS. 



Two s|«Tii'S lire ir<ii(;iii/.f(l ; Imlli iiri- rcsl riili'd tn llic 

 il(-«Tt rcyli'iis ipf iiiirthfni Afrlni iinil wcslcrii Asia. 

 NfltlitT Is II larKc sp«'<li',s ; the bite Is piiliifiil liiil iisiinlly 

 not serious, Hotli spciifs an- fouiul in I Ills rc^'ion (see 

 p. H2). 



DvflnitUin: Ili-ail hmad. tliUtciit'd, very disliiict from 

 ni'ck ; snout very sliort and broad, cantbus indistltict. 

 llody depressed, taper('<l, moderately sleiuler to stout; 

 tail short. 



F'yes small to moderate in size; pupils vertically el- 

 liptieal. 



Head scales: Head covered with small irreRular, 

 tuberciilarly-keeled scales; a larKe erect, ribbed born- 

 like scale often present above the eye; no otber enlarged 

 scales on crown. Laterally, nasal separated from rostral 

 by 1-3 rows of small scales; eye separated from supra- 

 labials by 3-5 rows of small scales. 



Body scales: Dorsals with apical pits, lar^e and 

 heavily keeled on back, smaller laterally, oblique, with 

 serrated keels, in 23-3."> rows at midbndy. Veiitrals with 

 lateral keel, 102-16") ; subcaudals keeled [posteriorly, all 

 paired. 18^2. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus frijficophis Alcock and Finn, 1897. 

 Asian sand \ipiT. 



.\ sliidle species, /■.', iiuiitiKtlmnii .Mcoik and Finn, Is 

 known from the desert areas of soutlieaslern Iran, Af- 

 Hhanlslaii, and West Pakistan. It is u rather small 



FiGUKE ITt. — Asiati Sand Viper, Eristicophis nianma^ 

 lionii. A little-known desert viper inhabiting sand 

 dunes. Photo by New York Zoological Society. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Echls Merrem, 1820. 

 Saw-scaled vipers. 



Two species are recognized. One (E. coloratus) is re- 

 .stricted to eastern Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula and Is- 

 rael. The other {E. carinatus) ranges from Ceylon and 

 southern India across western Asia and north Africa 

 southward into tropical Africa. Although neither 

 attains a length of 3 feet, they possess a highly toxic 

 venimi and are responsible for many deaths. When dis- 

 turbed they charcteristically inflate the body and pro- 

 duce a hissing sound by rubbing the saw-edged lateral 

 scales against one another. This same pattern of be- 

 havior Is shown by the nonpoisonous egg-eating snakes 

 niiKUpcItis (see p. 83 and fig. .52). 



Definition: Head broad, very distinct from narrow 

 neck ; canthus indistinct. Body cylindrical, moderately 

 slender ; tail short. 



Eyes moderate in size; pupils vertically elliptical. 



Head scales : A narrow supraocular sometimes pres- 

 ent ; otherwise crown covered with small scales, which 

 may be smooth or keeled. Rostral and nasals distinct. 

 Laterally eye separated from labials by 1— t rows of 

 small scales ; nasal in contact with rostral or separated 

 from it by a row of small scales. 



Body scales : Dorsals keeled, with apical pits, lateral 

 scales smaller, with serrate keels, in 27-37 oblique rows 

 at midbody. Ventrals rounded, 132-205 ; subcaudals 

 single, 21-52. 



snake, less than 3 feet in length. However, fatal cases 

 attributed to this species (Shaw, 1925) and a recent 

 serious bite indicate that it is a dangerous snake with 

 venom similar to that of Echis. 



Definition: Head broad and flattened, very distinct 

 from neck ; snout broad and short, canthus not distinct. 

 Body slightly depressed, moderately to markedly stout ; 

 tail short. 



Eyes moderate in size ; pui»ils vertically elliptical. 



Head scales : Crown covered by small scales ; rostral 

 broad, bordered dorsally and laterally by greatly en- 

 larged nasorostral scales. Laterally, eye separated from 

 labials by 3-4 rows of small scales ; nasal separated from 

 rostral by nasorostral scale. 



Body scales : Dorsals keeled, short, in 23-26 vertical 

 rows at midbody. Ventrals with lateral keels, 140-148 ; 

 subcaudals paired, without keels, 29-36. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Pseudocerasfes Boulenger, 1896. 

 False honied viper. 



A single species is recognized (see Remarks). It 

 ranges from Sinai and the Arabian Peninsula eastward 

 to West Pakistan. It attains a length of 3 feet and is 

 considered dangerous. 



Definition: Head broad, very distinct from neck; 

 snout short and broadly rounded ; nostrils dorsolateral, 

 valves present. 



Eyes small to moderate; pupils vertically elliptical. 



Head scales : Crown covered with small imbricate 

 scales ; an erect hornlike projection covered with imbri- 



no 



