Cerastes cerastes Linnaeus, 1758

Size

Cerastes cerastes Linnaeus, 1758, commonly known as the desert horned viper, has an average total body and tail length of 30–60 cm (12–24 in), with a maximum recorded total length of 85 cm (33 in).

Sexual Dimorphism

Females of this species are larger than males overall, while males show distinct sexual dimorphism by having larger heads and larger eyes than females.

Supraorbital Horns

One of the species' most recognizable features is a pair of supraorbital "horns", with one located above each eye. These horns can sometimes be reduced in size or completely absent, as noted in the genus Cerastes.

Head and Eye Morphology

Its eyes are prominent and positioned on the sides of the head.

Interspecific Comparison with Cerastes gasperettii

Compared to the related species Cerastes gasperettii, C. cerastes has a larger relative head size, and a higher frequency of individuals that have the characteristic supraorbital horns: 48% for C. cerastes versus 13% for C. gasperettii.

Base Body Coloration

The species' base body color ranges from yellowish, pale grey, pinkish, reddish to pale brown, and this base color almost always matches the color of the local substrate where individual snakes are found.

Dorsal Markings

Along the dorsal side of the body, a series of dark, semi-rectangular blotches runs the full length of the body; these blotches may be fused into crossbars or remain separate.

Ventral and Tail Coloration

The belly is white, and the usually thin tail may have a black tip.

Geographic Distribution

This snake is common in Iraq, and is also found across Syria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Yemen, Jordan, Israel, Qatar, Mauritania, Morocco and Kuwait, as well as parts of North Africa including Libya, Egypt, and Sudan.

Type Locality

The original type locality was only listed as "Oriente", but Flower (1933) clarified this to "Egypt".

Habitat Substrate Preference

C. cerastes favors dry, sandy areas with sparse rock outcroppings, and generally avoids coarse sand.

Altitude Range

Individuals are occasionally found around oases, and the species occurs at altitudes up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).

Temperature Preference

It prefers cooler areas, with annual average temperatures of 20 °C (68 °F) or lower.

Mating Behavior

In captive individuals, mating has been observed in April, and always takes place while the snakes are buried in sand.

Reproductive Mode and Clutch Size

This species is oviparous, laying clutches of 8 to 23 eggs that hatch after 50 to 80 days of incubation.

Egg Laying Sites

Eggs are laid under rocks and in abandoned rodent burrows.

Juvenile Size

Newly hatched juveniles have a total length of 12–15 cm (about 5–6 inches).