''Cerastes gasperettii'', commonly known as the Arabian horned viper, is a venomous viper species found in the Middle East from Israel to Iran, and especially in the Arabian Peninsula. It is very similar in appearance to ''C. cerastes'', but the geographic ranges of these two species do not overlap. No subspecies of ''C. gasperettii'' are currently recognized.
Similar species: Scaled Reptiles
By Ori Fragman Sapir
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Uploaded Dec 9, 2019. Captured Dec 9, 2019 08:58 in Unnamed Road, Israel.
comments (7)
What a fantastic photo! The Arabian horned viper (Cerastes gasperettii) is a venomous, side-winding viper that is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. They are horned vipers, BUT not all individuals have horns. Some just have a prominent brow ridge instead. In fact, there can be a combination of horned and hornless vipers in the very same brood! The exact purpose of the horns is unknown, but they may help keep sand out of the snake’s eyes. This theory seems to be supported by the observation that individuals living in sandy deserts are more likely to have horns than those vipers living in stony deserts. Or, the horns may confuse predators by breaking up the outline of the snake’s head, thus making them more difficult to spot. {Spotted in Israel by JungleDragon moderator, Ori Fragman-Sapir} #JungleDragon #viper #Arabianhornedviper #hornedviper #Cerastesgasperettii #Cerastes #Israel Posted 3 years ago