Sahara Sand Viper
Sahara Sand Viper
Cerastes vipera
Reptilia
RARE

Stats

Lifespan
10-15 yrs
Size
Small
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Social
Solitary
Biome
Desert
Range
North Africa
Movement
Slithering
Breeding
Egg-laying
Defense
Camouflage
Status
Rare

About

The Sahara sand viper, Cerastes vipera, is a venomous snake that lives in the deserts of North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. It can survive in temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius and is one of the few venomous snakes in the world that can tolerate that heat.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    hatchling
    A miniature snake emerges from the egg or from its mother (live-bearers), already venomous or strong-coiled in some species.
  2. 2.
    juvenile
    A juvenile sheds its skin, grows quickly, and hunts smaller prey than the adults.
  3. 3.
    adult
    Fully grown at adult length and pattern.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Viperidae
Genus
Cerastes
Species
Cerastes vipera