Nocturnal. Usually in areas where other Viperidae are lacking or uncommon. Venomous to humans.
Least Concern
A medium to fairly large snake, with a short, stocky body. Largest specimen has a total length of 890 mm. Tail short, tail / total length = 0.11-0.16. It has 13 supralabials; eye moderate, separated from supralabials by 3 scales, pupil vertical; a supraocular horn-like projection made of several scales; mid-dorsals strongly keeled, laterals almost smooth, 21-23 scale rows around mid-body; 134-138 ventrals, 35-38 paired subcaudals; anal entire. Dorsum sandy, with a pattern of large, brown, rounded, light-edged spots along mid-dorsum, alternating with smaller lateral dark spots; a dark band between the posterior of the eye to the angle of the mouth; tail with a black tip, except in neonates . Venter plain white.
Sinai. Apparently widespread, but lacking from the dune fields of the north. Records include specimens from 64 km north of Nekhel (Flower 1933, GZM 7152), Gebel Maghara (Saleh 1997) and from the St. Katherine airport area. Werner (1973) depicts 3 records; one from the St. Katherine area, one from approximately 29°20'N 33°30'E and one from the general vicinity of Metla Pass. In Israel the species is common in Wadi Ramon (Mendelssohn 1965), not far from the borders with Egypt in the area south of El Quseima.
Sinai, through northern Arabia to western Iran.
Open, sandy or gravelly, desert with moderate scrub cover, often with scattered stones, usually near rocky slopes and hilly or mountainous country. Usually under shrubs or in rodent burrows.
Rare but fairly widespread. Targeted by professional animal collectors as a 'desirable' species. In Egypt it is Vulnerable.
