Saw-scaled Viper (Echis carinatus)

 

HIGHLY VENOMOUS

Saw-scaled viper

(Echis carinatus)

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is small size snake.

• Average length :

  15-24 inch

• Maximum Recorded :

  31 inch

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) feeds on rodents, lizards, frogs, and all kind of arthropods, such as scorpions, centipedes and large insects.

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) isinconspicuous and have extremely aggressive nature. mostly crepuscular (Active after sunset and before sunrise) and nocturnal, i sandy places they burry themselves under sand and keep their head out. They are very active after rains and in humid climate often climb up bushes upto 2mtr height

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) lives in a wide variety of habitats, from Forest, Shrubland, Grassland, Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks), Desert. It is often hide itself under loose rocks.

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) can be found throughout India

• India :

  Common in most of india

• Other Countries :

  Is endemic to Asia Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan (including Urak near Quetta and Astola Island off the coast of Makran). In the Middle East it is found in Oman, Masirah (Island), eastern United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and southwestern Iran. In Central Asia it is found in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Nepal.

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is Highly venomous snake, with venom is primarily haemotoxic and cytotoxic, which prevents blood from clotting and causes significant cell and tissue damage. It can inject as much as 12 mg, whereas the lethal dose for an adult is estimated to be only 5 mg.

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) stay and guard their clutches until the young hatch. At birth, the hatchlings are about 115mm to 152mm (11cm-15cm)long

• Ovoviviparous :

  Eggs hatch inside the body and gives live birth

• Mating season :

  Oct-Dec

• Gestation period :

  about 6 months

• Clutch size :

  3 – 15 litters

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is Classified as Least Concern. Threats include habitat loss, accidental killings, and snakebite-related deaths.

• IUCN

Local names:

• English :

  saw-scaled viper, Indian saw-scaled viper, little Indian viper.

• Tamil :

  surattai pambu. viriyan pamboo, surutai vireyan ( சுருட்டை விரியன் )

• Sinhala 

    vali polonga (වැලි පොලඟා).

• Odia :

  Dhuli Naga.

• Pushtu :

  phissi.

• Telugu :

  Chinna pinjara, thoti pinjara

• Sindhi :

  kuppur, janndi.

• Marathi :

  phoorsa (फुरसं).

• Kannada :

  kallu haavu.

• Malayalam :

  anali അണലി

• Gujarati :

  tarachha, zeri padkoo (ઝેરી પૈડકુ) udaneyn.

• Hindi :

  aphai (अफई)

• Russian :

  peschanaya efa (песчаная эфа)

• Iraqi Arabic :

  ḥayyat sayyid dakhīl (حية سيد دخيل)

• Persian :

  mār-e ja'fari (مار جعفری)

• Bengali :

  fursa boda sap (ফুরসা বোড়া সাপ), also কাঁটা-আঁইশা বোড়া, খুঁদে চন্দ্রবোড়া, বোড়া সাপ, বঙ্করাজ।

• Tulu :

  netter mugel (ನೆತ್ತೆರ್ ಮೂಗೇಲ್)

Interesting Fact

Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is also know as Indian side winder as their primary locomotion is side winding which prevent them from overheating in hot climate like desert.

References

• wikipedia
• S.R.O.