Persian horned viper, description, habitat, lifestyle, photo, video. Horned viper Cerastes cerastes Horned viper report
horned viper can reach about 60-65 cm in length and it is immediately clear that she is a child of the desert, since her body has a color similar to the color of sand. The main color is brownish-yellow, on it you can see either almost quadrangular, or rounded, indistinctly protruding or clearly defined transverse spots of red-brown or dark brown color; they are arranged in six longitudinal rows and decrease from the middle to the sides. A dark brown stripe passes under the viper's eyes, and in the middle of the head you can see a light yellowish-brown stripe, which is divided into two on the back of the head and connected to two other similar stripes that come from the chin. The scales surrounding the mouth are a light sandy yellow color, and the scutes of the lower body are white or light yellow. One belt around the body has 29 to 33 scales; on the back they are vertically arranged to each other, and on the sides they take an indirect direction; the anal shield is undivided, and the shields on the tail are divided into two.
The image of this viper can be seen in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, since its original name "phi" was further used to represent a similar letter. Herodotus mentioned this snake and says that she lives near Thebes, has two horns on her head and does not pose a danger to people; in addition, he noted that it was considered sacred, but he did not explain why. Other ancient writers only described its appearance.
horned viper is common throughout, except for, as well as on the territory of rocky Arabia; it can also be found south of the desert belt, for example, a horned viper was found in the East, and also, quite often in the steppes of Kordofan. Gesner talked about Africa being full of these vipers; especially a lot of these snakes in the barren and sandy Libyan desert. There is a legend according to which, before there were a lot of horned vipers; they occupied a significant part of the country's territory, and it was turned into a desert, since no one could live there.
Usually they live under the sand in sandy places or lie near the roads in minks, from where they can attack those who pass by without much difficulty, which others like to do. Although the horned viper is very provocative and poisonous, but only it and the common viper can remain alive for such a long time without water.
Horned vipers give birth to live young. They can crawl pretty well with a lot of twists and turns, and it whistles and makes a lot of noise, like a ship that is carried by the waves and is tossed here and there by the wind.
The horned viper hunts birds quite diligently, lures birds with its horns sticking out above earth's surface, hiding the torso under the sand; after that, she quickly grabs her prey and kills it. These vipers do not cause absolutely no friendship and love among the inhabitants, but they wish harm and hate them. They do not harm the Psyllas, and the bites of these snakes are not dangerous for them, so these people can drive them away. with bare hands not only from myself, but also from other people. To test the fidelity of their wives, the psillas put their children under these snakes, just as they test gold with fire.
A flat head, a pair of sharp horns over almost cat-like eyes, an unusual manner of movement - the owner of such a memorable appearance could not but leave her mark on history. Indeed, the horned viper (lat. Cerastes cerastes) has long been well known in its homeland - in arid savannahs and foothills North Africa, in the quicksands of the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula.
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the ancient Egyptians treated horned vipers with great reverence and even embalmed the bodies of dead snakes. Their mummies were discovered during excavations in Thebes, which suggests the important and even mystical role of horned snakes in the life of the ancient inhabitants of Egypt. It was this reptile that served the Egyptians as the basis for one of the letters of the alphabet - the hieroglyph "phi". It is believed that the reason for this was the ability of horned vipers to make hissing sounds with the help of lateral scales.
In general, the role that these scales, similar to pointed blades, play in the life of horned snakes can hardly be overestimated. They are much smaller than the dorsal scales, run along the entire lateral surface of the body and are directed downward at an angle, forming something like a long sharp saw.
When the reptile needs to burrow into the sand, it spreads its ribs to the sides, thereby flattening the body, and with quick vibrating movements, using sawtooth scales as a burrowing mechanism, sinks into the sand in a matter of seconds. It is unlikely that you will be able to see a trace of a viper hiding in the sand: the very first breath of the breeze takes away the barely noticeable sandy hillocks left over from the dive.
The horned viper spends the entire bright part of the day in abandoned rodent burrows or buried in the sand, leaving only its eyes on the surface. It is almost impossible to notice her in this position: the sandy-yellow color of the body, diluted with brown spots, does an excellent job of camouflage. Under the cover of night, horned predators go hunting: moving silently through the night desert, they catch small rodents, birds and lizards.
If camouflage coloring is not enough, and you need to scare away uninvited guest, horned snake stands on the tail in the shape of the letter "C" and begins to vigorously rub one part of the body against another. And here the lateral scales again come to the rescue: clinging to each other, they produce a loud hissing sound that can continuously last almost two minutes.
And, of course, the most convincing argument in the defense is poison. It is said that after the bite of a horned viper, there is a feeling that the heart is clenching an invisible fist. But in general, the poison of this snake is not fatal, and the same Egyptians learned to neutralize it more than two thousand years ago.
Another one interesting feature of this reptile is its manner of moving. The horned viper moves along the sand with the so-called "side passage". She alternately throws forward and to the side the back of the body, and only then pulls the front. Since, when moving, the viper does not touch the sand with the middle part of the body, its track is not a continuous line, but a series of oblique parallel strips located at an angle of approximately 60 degrees to the direction of movement.
And while the horned viper crawls, its scales protruding from its sides collect morning dew, storing invaluable moisture to survive another long hot day.
Appearance
Horned viper ( Cerastes cerastes) – poisonous snake 60-80 cm long, with a thick body and a sharply narrowed short tail. Above her eyes, one sharp vertical scale sticks out, the length of these scales can be very different. The scales on the sides of the body are smaller than the dorsal, strongly keeled and directed obliquely downwards, forming a kind of saw running along each side. The color of the horned viper is sandy yellow with dark brown spots along the back and on both sides of the body.
Distribution and lifestyle
This snake inhabits the entire Sahara desert and adjacent foothills and dry savannahs, as well as Arabian Peninsula. During the day, it buries itself in the sand or hides in rodent burrows, and at nightfall it goes hunting for small rodents and birds. Juveniles feed on grasshoppers and lizards.
Features of movement and behavior
moving horned viper“Laterally”, throwing the back half of the body forward and sideways and pulling the front part towards it. At the same time, not a single trace remains on the sand, but separate oblique strips at an angle of 40-60 ° to the direction of movement, since when “throwing” forward, the snake does not touch the ground with the middle of the body, relying only on the front and rear ends of the body. In the process of movement, the snake periodically changes the “working side” of the body, moving forward either with the left or with the right side. Thus, a uniform load on the muscles of the body is achieved with an asymmetric method of movement. Small keeled scales, sawtooth located on the sides of the body, bring a double benefit to the snake. First of all, they serve as the main burrowing mechanism when the snake is buried in the sand. The viper spreads the ribs to the sides, flattens the body and with a quick transverse vibration pushes the sand apart, “drowning” in it literally before our eyes. Keeled scales act like miniature plows. For 10-20 seconds, the horned viper disappears in the thickness of the sand. Only a trace of its immersion remains, bordered by two sandy rollers, but this trace soon disappears under a light breeze. Burrowing, the snake often sticks its head out of the sand just enough so that its eyes are flush with the surface. At the same time, a thin layer of sand remains on the upper side of the head, masking it. In addition, keeled scales are used by the viper to make a kind of frightening sound. Curled up into a half ring, the snake rubs one side of the body against the other, the sawtooth scales scrape against each other, making a loud continuous rustling. This sound is most similar to the hissing of water spilled on a hot stove. A disturbed viper can continuously "hiss" in this way for 1-2 minutes. This "hissing" is used by the snake to scare away enemies, similar to the vocal hissing of most snakes or the dry chirping of a rattle in rattlesnakes.
reproduction
horned viper- an egg-laying snake, it has from 10 to 20 eggs in a clutch. From the clutch of eggs incubated at 28-29 °, the cubs are hatched after 48 days.
Horned viper and symbolism
horned viper was well known to the ancient Egyptians. It was this type of snake that served as the basis for the Egyptian hieroglyph "phi". Probably, the choice of a snake for this hieroglyph is explained by onomatopoeic similarity. Snake charmers in Egypt both before and now willingly use in their performances, in addition to cobras, also horned vipers. The "horns" of vipers are undoubtedly the most spectacular attribute of their appearance, however, the supraorbital scales are sometimes very weakly expressed. Therefore, some spellcasters, not content with the natural size of the "horns", glue the sharp tips of porcupine needles over their eyes to their "artists" in order to ensure their success with a gullible public.
A land where there would be no representatives of the animal world. Animals live all over the world, even in deserts and uninhabited Antarctica. This article will focus on those creatures that were able to adapt to the harsh climate of the deserts. Some of the animals below can be seen in other parts of the world. Desert animals are hardy and hardworking!
Desert animals are hardy and hardworking
horned viper
Desert Animals - Horned Viper
This type of viper belongs to poisonous species Therefore, it is better for a person not to meet this reptile. The poison of the horned viper can cause considerable damage to the skin and blood cells. The hemotoxins present in viper venom are especially harmful, because when they enter human blood, they can lead to lethal outcome. Currently, the horned viper is on the verge of extinction.
humped camel
Desert Animals - One-humped Camel
If in the distant past one-humped camels roamed the deserts of North Africa on their own, today these animals are found only with people, since they have long been fully domesticated. camels they have excellent endurance, are very strong, so people use them to transport heavy loads. In addition, camels are often used for riding. There is an opinion that in the humps of camels there is water that helps them do without drinking. long time. This is a myth, because in fact camels have fat in their humps, thanks to which they are able to live for a long time without food.
Gazelle Dorcas
Desert Animals - Gazelle Dorax
This gazelle has a beautiful sandy coloration, which serves as an excellent camouflage in the desert. The gazelle feeds on water-storing plants and plants with dew, thanks to which it may never drink water at all. Gazelle Dorax grows up to 65 centimeters, and its weight rarely exceeds 25 kilograms. If the animal senses the approach of predators, it instantly jumps to the side, thereby making it clear to other gazelles that a predator is sitting in ambush. If necessary, the Dorcas gazelle can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.
dung beetle
Desert Animals - Dung Beetle
More beautiful name this being - sacred scarab. The beetle is famous for using the droppings of other animals for its own purposes. When he sees other people's excrement, he begins to roll them with his hind legs into a small ball, which then rolls into his underground house. Naturally, the ball serves as food for the beetle. In autumn, the beetle rolls up larger balls, which serve not only as food, but also as a place for laying eggs.
Antelope mendes
Desert Animals - Antelope Mendez
Another name for the Mendes antelope is addax. Earlier meet this amazing creation it was possible only in the deserts of Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania and some other countries, but today the range of the antelope has significantly decreased. Today addax lives only in Libya, Chile, Niger, Mali and Mauritania. Antelopes have unusual paws, the structure of which helps them to easily move through heavy sandy areas. And at the same time, this makes them too vulnerable to predators, from which it is very difficult for them to escape. There are less than 500 Mendes antelopes in the world today.
yellow scorpion
Desert Animals - Yellow Scorpion
Scorpions are very fond of deserts, especially the yellow scorpion. This creature is very dangerous and at the same time incredibly tenacious. Outwardly, the scorpion does not look intimidating, but in fact, he knows how to perfectly use his small claws if you need to get the enemy out of the way. The main weapon of the yellow scorpion are neurotoxins. If an adult is unlikely to die from a single scorpion sting, then for children and the elderly, the bite can be fatal.
African ostrich
Desert Animals - African Ostrich
Everyone famous bird who can't fly. Nature decided not to deprive the ostriches, so she rewarded them with a very fast run. If necessary, the giant bird can accelerate at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour. Of course, this is not all that an ostrich can boast of. Ostriches are very hardy birds that can travel great distances. Ostriches have very good hearing. acute vision, powerful legs that allow birds to fend off their enemies. The basis of ostrich nutrition is herbs, but occasionally ostriches can also eat small animals.
Desert animals - monitor lizard
Outwardly, monitor lizards are very similar to giant lizards, but unlike them, they pose a serious threat to people. And yet, these animals rarely attack people, preferring to use their poison to hunt small animals and insects. In fact, monitor lizards are cold-blooded animals, but they managed to adapt to a hot climate. If the temperature becomes unbearably high, monitor lizards begin to show aggression. It is known that predators do not tolerate life in captivity.
Desert Animals - Fenech
The little fox leads night image life. You can meet the animal in the deserts of northern Africa. A special feature of the fennec fox is its large ears, which help the animal survive even very high temperature. The food of the fennec fox is made up of all the small inhabitants of the desert, as well as various plants.
Jerboa
Desert Animals - Jerboa
Funny rodent lives in deserts, semi-deserts and steppes. The jerboa can adapt to even the harshest climatic conditions. The jerboa is a nocturnal animal distinguished by its jumps, which help it elude predators. In length, the animal grows only up to 25 centimeters, but this does not prevent it from accelerating at a speed of 25 kilometers per hour. Interestingly, jerboas never drink pure water, preferring to get water from the food they eat. The basis of the nutrition of the jerboa is plants, seeds and some insects.
horned viper (Cerastes cerastes)
Class - reptiles
Squad - scaly
Family - vipers
Genus - real vipers
Appearance
The horned viper is a snake 60-80 cm long, with a thick body and a sharply narrowed short tail. One sharp vertical scale sticks out above the eyes. The length of these scales is very different. The scales on the sides of the body are smaller than the dorsal, strongly keeled and directed obliquely downwards, forming a kind of saw running along each side. The color of the horned viper is sandy yellow with dark brown spots along the back and on both sides of the body.
Habitat
This snake inhabits the entire Sahara desert and adjacent foothills and dry savannas, as well as the Arabian Peninsula.
In nature
During the day, the snake buries itself in the sand or hides in rodent burrows, and after dark it comes out to hunt for small rodents and birds. Juveniles feed on grasshoppers and lizards.
reproduction
The horned viper is oviparous, in its clutch there are 10-20 eggs. When incubated at 28-29° cubs appear after 48 days.
Horned vipers are kept in wooden terrariums measuring 100x60x30 cm. Inside the terrarium, a blind partition is necessarily placed with a hole near the bottom so that only a snake can enter it. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account a layer of sand of 5 cm, in which snakes burrow with pleasure due to natural “habits”. The hole should be closed with a gate, this will allow you to protect yourself during cleaning by securely locking the snake in one of the parts of the terrarium. In addition to regular cleaning of the terrarium, it is sometimes necessary to sift all the sand to remove small particles. The partition divides the volume into a “warm” chamber, in which a lamp (preferably a “reflex camera”) is installed, and a “cold” chamber, since these animals need a certain temperature difference (of course, not the one needed, for example, by many Vipera vipers and Pelias). Naturally, each chamber is supplied with its own door. Optimum temperature at the warm-up point - 37 degrees. It is recommended to put a flat stone under the lamp, such as a piece of slate, on which animals can bask. Be sure to put a drinker! It is also necessary to maintain humidity in the dark half of the terrarium. To do this, in the morning and in the evening it is necessary to spray it from a spray bottle. At night, the heating of the terrarium is turned off, and the temperature drops to room temperature.
In captivity, slingshots feed on mice, juvenile rats, gerbils, hamsters, etc., which are eaten without problems.
When handling these animals, you should be extremely careful! Most often they sit badly on the hook, and they attack from absolutely any position and in any direction, while shooting the entire length of the body. At the same time, the teeth of horned vipers are quite long, the bite is dangerous because of its depth, powerful poison and doses that are administered by bite. In high doses, the poison acts as a strong anticoagulant by directing and indirectly influencing plasma fibrinogen. The poison has a pronounced effect on the vascular endothelium, which determines its main hemorrhagic effect, and causes serious destructive changes in the parenchyma. internal organs and in muscle tissue.
Clinic of poisoning: pain, moderate swelling, general symptoms not frequent. Nausea, vomiting, subcutaneous hemorrhages, hematuria, and abdominal pain are sometimes recorded. Coagulation disorders are the same as in poisoning with efa poison, but somewhat milder. Causes of death include DIC, intracerebral hemorrhage, kidney failure and complicated necrosis.
Life expectancy in captivity is about 18 years.