What is the name of the snake with horns. Horned viper. An excerpt characterizing the Horned Viper

The horned viper belongs to the family of viper snakes, to the genus false-horned. Such unusual name this reptile deserved thanks to a pair of its unusual protruding horns, which nature endowed it with.

External characteristics

This species of snake has a medium body size. The body is thick, has a cylindrical structure and can reach up to 0.89 - 1.16 meters in length. At the end of the body, the snake has a short tail, the length of which is approximately 8 or 8.5 cm.

The reptile has a wide and flat head, from above its shape resembles a pear and is separated from the body by the neck. The eyes are of medium size, the pupils are vertical, convey an elliptical shape and resemble a cat's gaze. The nostrils of the snake are bulging outward and raised up. The reptile of this species has a very rough skin surface by nature. Convex horns in the form of pointed lobes above the eyes are formed by several scales. The scales in the horn region are much smaller than the dorsal scales, it stretches along the surface of the snake body from the side, and resembles the tip of an elongated saw, directed downwards.

Nature endowed these individuals with a sandy color, with large brownish patches of a rounded shape, which are applied to the surface of the body in the middle along the back. These brown markings stand out on the body alternately with medium-sized dark spots from the sides of the body. A dark stripe stretched from the eyes to the corner of the mouth opening. At the end of the body there is a black tail, the only exceptions are the baby snakes. There are no ornaments or markings at the bottom of the body of the snake, the color of the lower part is white.

In nature, there are a huge number of vipers of this species with a wide variety of color shades. There are light brown snakes, reptiles with gray, bronze and bluish-gray skin. Rectangular brown spots or stripes are often visible on the surface of the body. In some reptiles, dark brown lines are visible on the body along the body on the side of the head, with small patches in the throat area and on the sides of the body.

Habitat and diet

The homeland of the horned viper is arid shrouds, quicksands of the Sahara desert and foothills in the north African continent. It is distributed throughout the Arabian Peninsula. It can be found in countries such as Kuwait, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, UAE. Also, a representative of this species lives on the territory of Iran, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Armenia, etc.

The reptile prefers to settle in places that are located about 2.2 thousand meters above sea level. For habitation, the snake chooses an open landscape area, with sandy or hilly terrain. It also settles in rocky places, on stone slopes, with scattered boulders.

Nutrition

Most active time days of this snake comes with the advent of twilight. The reptile goes hunting at night to feast on rodents and small animals. The snake's diet includes lizards, birds, and sometimes prefers to eat arthropods.

Behavioral Features

These reptiles move slowly and quietly. The burrows of rodents become a refuge for the snake. She often hides in the cracks earth's surface, under large stones, sometimes creeps into not very large bushes. Often buried in the sand, only her eyes are visible on the surface. However, it is almost impossible to see a horned viper in such a secluded place due to its sand color, which acts as a camouflage.

The non-variegated color of the snake helps it to easily disguise itself in the area. However, if an uninvited guest is nearby, the reptile rises up on its tail in the form of the letter "S" and vigorously rubs its body parts. The scales on the side touch each other, after which a specific hissing sound appears. This sound that repels enemies can last up to two minutes.

Not less than interesting feature this snake - the ability to move on the ground. The reptile moves along the sand with the help of a lateral move. During the movement, the body alternately throws forward and to the side, first the rear part, and then moves the front part of the body. During its movement, the viper does not touch the surface of the earth with the middle part of the body, and oblique parallel stripes remain on the sand.

Poisonousness of the horned viper

This variety of snakes, like other members of its big family, scientists classify as poisonous reptiles. AT oral cavity the snake has two sharp teeth, which she folds and hides in her mouth until the next hunt.

After the bite of this snake, tangible reactions to the poison occur in the human body, the bitten one feels as if his heart is constricting strongly. In general, a person feels general pain, swelling, the body overcomes a slight paralysis. At the same time, the bite of this snake is not fatal, so patients are unlikely to need serum or antidote for the bite of a horned viper.

Video: horned viper (Cerastes cerastes)

Viper horned / Cerastes cerastes

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. The horned viper is oviparous; in its clutch there are 10-20 eggs. From the clutch of eggs incubated at 28-29°, the young hatched after 48 days. The horned viper moves in a “lateral move”, 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. There remains only a trace of its immersion, 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. The 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.

Up to 70 cm long, brownish-yellow, with more or less clear transverse dark brown spots, the entire color of the snake is extremely in harmony with the color sandy desert. Number of scales in each belt 29-33; the anal shield is inseparable, and the caudal ones are divided into two.

Spreading

A widespread species found throughout North Africa (excluding Morocco) and the Arabian Peninsula.

reproduction

Gives birth to live babies.

Lifestyle and nutrition

A nocturnal animal, easily accustomed to captivity and easily tolerates hunger for months. Eats small mammals and birds.

Horned viper in culture

It was already distinguished by the ancient Egyptians in their hieroglyphs, from which the Greek φ (phi) was subsequently derived.

see also

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Literature

• Jacobson G. G.// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

An excerpt characterizing the Horned Viper

He stopped and rubbed his face and eyes with his hands.
“Well, here it is,” he continued, apparently making an effort on himself to speak coherently. I don't know since when I love her. But I have loved her alone, alone in my whole life, and I love her so much that I cannot imagine life without her. Now I do not dare to ask for her hand; but the thought that maybe she could be mine and that I would miss this opportunity ... opportunity ... is terrible. Tell me, can I hope? Tell me what should I do? Dear princess,” he said, after a pause and touching her hand, as she did not answer.
“I am thinking about what you told me,” Princess Mary answered. “I'll tell you what. You are right, what now to tell her about love ... - The princess stopped. She wanted to say: it is now impossible for her to talk about love; but she stopped, because for the third day she saw from the suddenly changed Natasha that not only would Natasha not be offended if Pierre expressed his love to her, but that she wanted only this.
“It’s impossible to tell her now,” Princess Marya said anyway.
“But what am I to do?
“Give it to me,” said Princess Mary. - I know…
Pierre looked into the eyes of Princess Mary.
“Well, well…” he said.
“I know that she loves ... she will love you,” Princess Mary corrected herself.
Before she had time to say these words, Pierre jumped up and, with a frightened face, grabbed Princess Mary by the hand.
- Why do you think? Do you think that I can hope? You think?!
“Yes, I think so,” said Princess Mary, smiling. - Write to your parents. And entrust me. I'll tell her when I can. I wish it. And my heart feels that it will be. horned viper

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 on 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, the horned snake stands on its tail in the shape of the letter "C" and begins to vigorously rub one part of the body against the other. 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.

No, the snake does not actually have any horns, they are false, but they look natural, don't they? And today, we will tell you about the Persian horned viper.

Description of the horned viper

This type of snake belongs to the viper family. The body length of such an individual reaches 80-100 cm. The body is quite dense with a wide head and a noticeable neck interception. Above the eyes you can see a kind of vertically standing soft outgrowth covered with scales, which we perceive as "horns".

What is most interesting is that not all snakes have paired "horns", sometimes they grow only one at a time. Since the snake is constantly in the sand and soil, nature endowed it with nostrils with valves that nothing gets into. Color horned snake gray-brown with dark spots, and transverse stripes.

HABITAT AND LIFESTYLE OF THE PERSIAN HORNE VIPER

Where does the Persian horned viper live?

The snake dwells in Turkey, in United Arab Emirates(that's why it got its name "Persian"), Pakistan, Oman, Israel, in Saudi Arabia, Jordan.

Lifestyle of the horned viper

Persian horned snake conducts predominantly nocturnal Lifestyle.
Many people get the impression that the reptile is buried in the sand, but this is not the case. This impression is formed from the movements, but thanks to the lateral movements of the torso, the snake does not fall into the sand. Yes, she often digs the sand with her head, because she lives exclusively on sandy soil.

By the way, horned viper capable of reaching speeds of up to 37 km / h sideways! AT diet reptiles include lizards, rodents and birds. Females and males mate, laying 10-20 eggs annually, from which, after a short amount of time, small snakes 15 cm long hatch.

VIDEO: ABOUT VIPS

IN THIS VIDEO, YOU WILL LEARN A LOT OF USEFUL AND INTERESTING ABOUT THE PERSIAN HORNED VIPER