West African Carpet Viper

They are typically yellowish brown in color with distinctive eye like spots along the length of their bodies.

West african carpet viper.

The ocellated carpet viper or echis ocellatus inhabits the countries of senegal gambia and gulf of guinea in the african continent. Burton s carpet viper is the name given to echis coloratus or painted saw scaled viper of eastern egypt palestine syria and israel. Carinatus westafrikanische sandrasselotter f zool. A sidewinder it lifts its upper body braces its head and pulls the remaining coils along without touching the ground at an angle.

They have a characteristic threat display rubbing sections of their body together to produce a sizzling warning sound. Saw scaled vipers carpet vipers is a genus of venomous vipers found in the dry regions of africa the middle east india sri lanka and pakistan. The west african carpet viper is a small snake with an average total length of approximately 20 inches 1 5 feet. Echis ocellatus known by the common names west african carpet viper and ocellated carpet viper is a highly venomous species of viper endemic to west africa no subspecies are currently recognized.

Click here to view download in pdf format. West african carpet viper echis ocellatus. The name echis is the latin transliteration of the greek word for viper ἔχις. This snake accounts for 69 of snake bite related death in nigeria causing over 1 450 deaths nationwide.

It is responsible for more human fatalities due to snakebite than all other african species combined. The west african carpet viper s venom is potently cytotoxic causing severe pain swelling blistering and in many cases severe tissue damage. The west african carpet viper is the most dangerous snake in africa responsible for more serious snakebites and deaths than any other species and it is a strong candidate for the title of most dangerous snake in the world. West african carpet viper echis ocellatus syn.

Like the boomslang their venom is haemotoxic causing. An antivenom called echitab plus icp is manufactured by the costa rican instituto clodomiro. Monovalent antivenom is effective and should be administered. West african carpet viper echis ocellatus syn.

Although not a large snake 300 500mm its venom is extremely toxic and it is. Africa middle east and south asia the saw scaled or carpet vipers of the genus echis pictured is echis ocellatus a west african carpet viper from nigeria are a major cause of snakebite envenoming in the savannas of sub saharan africa north of the equatorial rainforest belt in the arabian peninsula and extending through iran to pakistan india and sri lanka. This carpet viper stands as the most dangerous snake in nigeria. This is typically a desert species.

These spots are designed to confuse potential predators.