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Desert Horned Viper — printable fact sheet
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Desert Horned Viper
Cerastes cerastes
Cerastes cerastes is the small Saharan viper with a single spine-like scale sticking up above each eye, and although the horns are its trademark, hornless individuals occur in the same populations, so their exact function remains debated — the best supported idea is that they sh…
Did you know?
- Despite their intimidating appearance and venomous bite, Desert Horned Vipers are relatively docile and will often attempt to flee rather than confront threats.
- The saw-scaled rasping display is shared with the saw-scaled vipers of the same deserts, and it is a striking case of two lineages solving the same water-conservation problem the same way. Its eyes sit high on the head, positioned so the snake can see while the rest of it is under sand. Sidewinding evolved independently in this viper, the American sidewinder rattlesnake and the African Peringuey's adder, all in loose sand. Buried horned vipers are a genuine hazard to barefoot travellers precisely because nothing on the surface gives them away.
What I learned
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