The Far Easf 



region of north Afri<-ii. The B^syptinn cobra (Xaja liajr) 

 and the western subspecies of the Asiatic cobra {Naja 

 naja oxiana) are found in the Near and Middle East 

 region. .A'. *ioi« is the only si)ecies in this region (see pp. 

 123-125). 



Definition: Head rather broad, flattened, only slightly 

 distinct from neck; snout rounded, a distinct canthus. 

 Body moderately slender, slightly depressed, tapered ; 

 neck capable of expansion into hood ; tail of moderate 

 length. 



Eyes moderate in size ; pupils round. 



Head scales : The usual 9 on the crown ; frontal 

 short ; rostral rounded. Laterally, nasal in contact with 

 the one or two preoculars. 



Rody scales : Dorsals smooth, in 17-2,") oblique rows 

 at midbody, usually more on the neck, fewer posteriorly. 

 Ventrnls l."!)-232; anal plate entire; subcaudals 42-88, 

 mostly paired. 



Maxillary teeth : Two rather largo tubular fangs 

 with external grooves followed, after an interspace, by 

 0-3 small teeth. 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Ophiophagus GiJnther, 1864 



Kill 



)lir:i. 



A single species, O. iitnimth. is fcjund in southeastern 

 Asia and the Philippines. It attains a length of 16 to 

 18 feet, and is considered one of the world's most dan- 

 gerous siuikes (see pp. 125-126). 



Definition: Head relatively short, llallcned, moder- 

 ately distinct from neck ; snout broad, rounded, canthus 

 indistinct. Body slender, tapering, neck region capable 

 of expanding into small hood ; tail long. 



Eyes moderate in size ; pupils round. 



Head scales: The usual !) on the crown, plus a pair 

 of large occipitals in contact ^vith one another behind the 

 parietals. I^aterally, luisal in narrow contact with 

 elongate preocular. 



Body .scales : Dor.sals smooth, in 15 oblique rows at 

 mibody and posteriorly, more (17-19) on neck. Ven- 

 trals 240-254 ; subcaudals 84—104, the anterior ones 

 .single, the remainder paired. 



Maxillary teeth: Two relatively short fangs (about 

 V2 iiK'li iu '1 large specimen) with external grooves fol- 

 lowed, after an interspace, liy '.\ small Iccdi. 



VIPERIDAE: Genus Vipero Laurent!, 1768. 

 TflU' addefs. 



Eleven species are recognized. This is an especially 

 variable group, with some members that are small and 

 relatively innocuous (e.g., T'. herns, which is found in 

 this region. See p. 74,) and others that are extremely 

 dangerous (1". Uheiina, V. riisselii). They are found 

 from northern Eurasia throughout that continent and 

 into north Africa. One species ranges into the East 

 Indies [V. ruKKelii), as well as into the southern part of 

 this region (see p. 127). 



Definition: Head broad, distinct from narrow neck; 



canthus distinct. Body cylindrical, varying from mod- 

 erately slender to stout ; tail short. 



Eyes moderate in size to small ; pupils vertically el- 

 liptical. 



Head .si-ales: Variable: one species ( T. nrf!inii) has 

 all 9 crown scutes, most species have at least the supra- 

 oculars, but even these are absent in one {V. lebetina) : 

 head otherwise covered with small scales. Laterally, 

 nasal in contact with rostral or separated by a single 

 enlarged scale (the uasorostral) eye separated from 

 supralabials by 1—1 rows of small scales. 



Body scales : Dorsals keeled, with apical pits, in 

 19-31 nonoblique rows at midbody. Ventrals rounded, 

 120-lsO: sulnaudals paired. 20-04. 



CROTALIDAE: Genus Agkisfrodon Beauvois, 1799. 

 M<)C(';isiiis and Asian pit vipei-s. 



Twelve spe<'ies are recognized. Three of tlie.se are 

 in Xorth and Central America; the others are in Asia, 

 uitli one species, A. IkiIi/k. ranging westward to 

 .southeastern Europe. The American copperhead (.1. 

 coiitortrix) and the Eurasian mamuslii and its relatives 

 (.4. halyx) .seldom inflict a serious bite but .1. aeiilua 

 and A. rhiiiloxtoinu of southeastern Asia, as well ns the 

 cottonmouth (.4. piscirorns) of the southeastern Ignited 

 States, are dangerous si)ecies. 



Definition: Head broad, flattened, very distinct from 

 narrow ne<-k ; a sharply-distinguished canthus. Body 

 cylindrical or depressed, tapered, moderately stout to 

 stout ; tail short to moderately loiig. 



Eyes moderate in size: pupils vertically clli]itic;il. 



Head scales: The usual 9 on the crown in most 

 s|)ecies; interna.sals and prefrontals broken up into 

 small .scales in some Asian forms; a pointed nasal ap- 

 pendage in some. Laterally, loreal pit separated from 

 labials or its anterior border formed by second supra- 

 labial. Loreal scale present or absent. 



Body scales: I)or.-;als smooth (in .4. rhodostoma 

 oidy ) or keeled, with .-iiiical lilts, in 17-27 nonoblique 



Figure 93. — Head Scales of Agkistrodon halys. Note 

 presence of enlarged head scutes and loreal pit, char- 

 acteristic of this genus. Redrawn from Makl, 1931. 



135 



