Echis carinatus
Common sand race Lotter (E. carinatus )
The common sand race Lotter ( Echis carinatus ) is a species of vipers ( Viperidae ), which is spread over wide areas of Asia. Due to their lifestyle and habitat selection in the vicinity of human habitations as well as their very strong poison, it is one of the most dangerous poisonous snakes to humans.
Features
The common sand race Lotter reached an average length of about 60 to 70 cm with a maximum length of about 80 cm. It is thus one of the medium sized species of vipers. The body is slightly stocky, but compared to other puff adders or vipers it is relatively slim built. The body coloration of the sand race Lotter is highly variable: The spectrum of color ranges from a sandy brown to gray-brown to dark brown. The back is usually darker than the sides of the animals and has a drawing of light beams cross, which are surrounded by dark flakes. These bars extend from the neck to the tail. The sides of the body may have bright wavy lines or V-shaped drawings. The head has at the top also a bright drawing that may be similar in the form of an X, a V or a skewer. The belly is pale creamy white and has a dark mottling on.
The head is significantly offset from the body and has the shape of a rounded triangle. The relatively far forward on the head -set eyes are very large and have vertical slit pupils. The top of the head is covered by many uneven and keeled scales. Below the eyes are two rows of Under Eye shields ( Supraocularia ), including 10 to 12 are upper lip shields ( supralabials )
The scales of the body are also strongly keeled and can generate a typical rattling sound, which gave the sand race wabble its name from rubbing. Around the middle of the body are 25-37 rows of scales. Unlike all other vipers all members of the genus Echis have undivided under tail- shields ( Subcaudalia ).
Distribution and habitat
The common sand race Lotter is used in several subspecies of large parts of Asia. The total area extends from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Iran. Populations, there are also in Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula.
In Africa there is the Egyptian sand race Lotter ( Echis pyramidum ), which was formerly regarded as a subspecies of the common sand race Lotter, but is now recognized as a distinct species.
As a habitat, the animals prefer mainly drylands with rock rubble and sparse vegetation. They live mainly on mountain slopes in desert and steppe areas in wadis and in peripheral areas of agriculturally used areas, overgrown gardens and oases.
Way of life
The common sand race Lotter is predominantly nocturnal and feeds mainly on small mammals such as mice and rats, and other small animals such as birds, lizards, frogs and other snakes. Your movement is carried meandering or spiraling page. By rubbing the edge shed the snake produces a typical rattling sound as a warning sound when they feel disturbed. When threatened, they also rolled up dish-shaped and comes very quickly, by allowing the head forward fast.
The snake is mostly viviparous ( ovoviviparous ) and brings up to 15 young per litter snakes to the world.
Snake venom
The poison of Commons sand race Lotter is very strong hemotoxic, medical treatment with an adequate antivenin is necessary. The strong irritability, and proximity to human agricultural areas leads to frequent bites, making it one of the most dangerous species of snakes of their range. In India, it is, for example, next to the Chain viper, the cobra and the krait Commons one of the four ways in which the majority of fatal snake bites is due (Big Four).
System
Today, a total of five subspecies are recognized:
- E. c. carinatus
- E. c. astolae
- E. c. multisquamatus
- E. c. sinhaleyus
- E. c. sochureki