Eristicophis
Encyclopedia
- Common names: McMahon's viper, Asian sand viper, leaf-nosed viper, Whiskered viper.
Eristicophis is a monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
created for a venomous
Venomous snake
"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...
viper
Viperinae
The Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the Crotalinae. Currently, 12 genera and 66 species are recognized...
species, E. macmahonii. It is found only in the desert region of Balochistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
near the borders of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Description
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The head is large, broad, flat and wedge-shaped. It is also distinct from the neck. The snout is broad and short. The eyes are of a moderate size. The crown of the head is covered with small scales. The nostrils are a pair of small slits. It has a characteristic rostral scale, that is wider than it is high, strongly concave and bordered above and to the sides by four much enlarged nasorostral scale
Nasorostral scale
In reptiles, the nasorostral is an enlarged and usually paired scale, just behind the rostral ....
s arranged in a butterfly shape. There are 14-16 supralabials, which are separated from the suboculars by 3-4 rows of small scales. There are 16-19 sublabials. The circumorbital ring consists of 16-25 scales.
The body is dorsoventrally slightly depressed and appears moderately to markedly stout. The tail is short, and prehensile, tapering abruptly behind the vent. The skin feels soft and loose. The dorsal scales
Dorsal scales
In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...
are short and keeled
Keeled scales
Keeled scales refer to reptile scales that, rather than being smooth, have a ridge down the center that may or may not extend to the tip of the scale, making them rough to the touch...
, in 23-29 midbody rows that are arranged in a straight and regular pattern. The ventral scales
Ventral scales
In snakes, the ventral scales are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that contacts the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side...
have lateral keels, numbering 140-144 in males and 142-148 in females. The subcaudals are without keels: males have 33-36, females 29-31.
The color pattern consists of a reddish to yellowish brown ground color, overlaid dorsolatterally with a regular series of 20-25 dark spots, bordered partly or entirely with white scales. Posteriorly, these spots become more distinct. The white border areas often extend over the back as bands. The head has a white stripe that runs from the back of the eye to the angle of the mouth. The top of the head may have scattered dark flecks. The labials and throat are white, as is the belly. The tip of the tail is yellow with distinct crossbands.
Geographic range
In the desert region of BalochistanBalochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
near the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
-Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
-Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
border. They type-locality given is "Amirchah [Amir Cháh on map], 30th March, 3300 feet, Zeh, 1st April, 2500 feet, Drana Koh, 2nd April, Robat I., May, 4300 feet." (3300 ft = 1000 m, 2500 ft. = 760 m, 4300 ft. = 1300 m). Listed as "W. Baluchistan
Balochistan (region)
Balochistan or Baluchistan is an arid, mountainous region in the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia; it includes part of southeastern Iran, western Pakistan, and southwestern Afghanistan. The area is named after the numerous Baloch tribes, Iranian peoples who moved into the area from the west...
" in the catalogue of the Bombay Natural History Museum, Bombay India. Smith (1943:497) listed it as the "desert south of Helmand [River], in Baluchistan."
According to Mallow et al. (2003), this species is reported from Pakistan, Afghanistan, eastern and northwestern Baluchistan, southern Iran and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the Rajasthan Desert. It is limited to the Dast-i Margo Desert and nearby dune areas, from Seistan in the extreme east of Iran into Afghanistan south of the Helmand River
Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
. It also occurs in Baluchistan, between the Chagai Hills
Chagai Hills
The Chagai Hills is a range of granite hills in the Chagai District in Pakistan's Balochistan province.-Location:The Chagai Hills lie in a desert area in the northernmost part of Chagai District north of Pakistan's Ras Koh Hills and south of Afghanistan's Helmand and Nimruz provinces.- Topography...
and Siahan Range
Siahan Range
The Siahan Range is a mountain range in the central part of Balochistan province of Pakistan.The Siahan Range is primarily made up of limestone and sandstone and was formed when the north western Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate....
, east to Nushki
Nushki
Nushki , is a town in Balochistan, Pakistan. The town lies southwest of Quetta, and is situated in a plain at the base of the Quetta plateau, 2900 ft above sea level...
.
Habitat
Associated with (shifting) dune habitats of fine, loose sand. Not found above an altitude of 1300 m.Behavior
Employs rectilinear and serpentine motion to move around, but will sidewind when moving over loose sand or when alarmed. Occasionally, it climbs into bushes using its prehensile tail. This species is mainly nocturnal, but may also be crepuscular. It is also said to be bad-tempered, hissing very loudly and deeply. It will raise the front part of its body off the ground in a loop and strike aggressively.
Feeding
Feeds on small lizards, small rodents and sometimes birds. Mice are held in the mouth until dead, or nearly so.Reproduction
This species is oviparous, laying up to a dozen eggs. These hatch after 6–8 weeks, with the hatchlings being about 6 inches (15 cm) long.Venom
Relatively little data is available, but it is regarded as a potentially dangerous species by the U.S. Navy (1991) with venom similar to that of EchisEchis
Echis is a genus of venomous vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. They have a characteristic threat display, rubbing sections of their body together to produce a "sizzling" warning sound...
.