A small, sand-coloured desert viper of North Africa and the Middle East, recognisable by the upright horn above each eye.
Description
The Saharan horned viper is a stocky sand-yellow snake under 60 cm long, with rough keeled scales and a pair of small upright horns above the eyes. The horns are not present in all individuals but characterise most populations across the species range.
Behavior
A nocturnal ambush hunter, the horned viper buries itself in loose sand using a sidewinding shuffle of the body, leaving only the eyes and horns exposed. It strikes upward at passing rodents and lizards. Bites cause severe pain and tissue damage but are seldom fatal with treatment.
Range
Distributed across the Sahara and Sinai deserts from Morocco east to Arabia, generally below 1,500 m. The species features prominently in ancient Egyptian art and was used as the hieroglyphic letter f.