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Subspecies: Echis carinatus aliaborri DREWES & SACHERER 1974 Echis carinatus astolae MERTENS 1970 Echis carinatus carinatus SCHNEIDER 1801 Echis carinatus sinhaleyus DERANIYAGALA 1951 Echis carinatus sochureki STEMMLER, 1969 Echis carinatus multisquamatus CHERLIN 1981

Characteristics: A small venomous desert snake with highly polished scales. Has a short snout and rounded cheeks. Often light brown in colour with a lateral row of dark brown outlined mottles. It also has a dark brown dorsal stripe with light brown, fawn or buff coloured spots. Its colour may vary and specimens from sandy deserts have less contrast in their markings.

Behaviour: Active by day but in desert areas may remain hidden by day and go hunting by night. Has a very nasty disposition and this species never hesitates to strike if roused. When suddenly roused coils back with lightning speed as an act of defiance. It is capable of delivering a lightning fast strike and regaining its position of defiance leaving its challenger perplexed. Never likes to be handled but once in captivity may go and coil up in a corner and remain oblivious to external stimuli but almost always turns vicious when attempted to handle.

Food: Feeds mainly on mice, centipedes, lizards and scorpions. This snake is an opportunist and the prey is often first given a lethal dose of venom, let go and consumed once dead. However this snake due to its small size may be preyed upon by larger snakes such as Kraits and Sand Boas. Often it may unwittingly attack much larger prey such as desert rats get the worse of it with the result often being fatal to the Viper.

Breeding: Little is known about its reproductive habits with vary considerably from sub specie to sub specie and habitat. This viper snake is viviparous. In South Asia mating appears to take place in January and February and the young are born in June, July and August. Therefore the gestation period is around six months. The brood may vary from 3 to 15. It appears that if the male spermatozoa fail to fertilise the eggs within the female she will carry them for the full gestation and discharge infertile eggs instead of young.

Growth: At birth neonates are over 120mm long. Sexual maturity is reached when over 35cm long. The average length is 50cm and 75cm the maximum for this species.

Venom: Lethally venomous. A bite from this snake would inevitably prove fatal unless antivenin is administered with immediate effect. Its venom destroys red blood cells, the walls of arteries and reduces blood pressure. Death is either caused by internal bleeding or heart failure due to lack of blood and often occurs within 24 hours of being bitten.

Identification: This snake can be identified from other Sri Lankan venomous snakes by its unique carinated costals. The lack of large shields on its head, proportionately large eyes and enlarged, elongated first pair of Infralabials can be used to verify this species.

Lepidosis:

• Head: Apart from a few exceptions covered by a uniform set of small shields.
• Rostral: Small and spans the length between the nostrils of the snake.
• Nasals: Small and may be divided along the line of the nostrils.
• Supralabials: Ten to twelve pairs of which fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh are the largest and are of roughly equal size.
• Infralabials: Four pairs of which the first pair is elongated and the largest.
• Mental: Takes the form of a sharp triangle.
• Sublinguals: One enlarged pair, undivided and touches all four pairs of Infralabials.
• Ventrals: 132 to 195 rows which nearly span the entire ventral area of the snake.
• Anal: Entire
• Subcaudals: 21 to 48, entire.
• Costals: Have a unique carinated structure which give them a rough appearance. Ultimate row significantly larger than the rest.

Dentition:

• Maxillary: 2 (fangs)
• Palatine: 1 or 2
• Pterygoid: 17 to 21
• Mandibular: 15 to 19

Habitat: By rule it prefers deserts and arid environments often oblivious to the hot sun. It ventures into burrows when required. Can also be found in scrubland and occasionally in a forested area. May enter human dwellings in search of prey.

Distribution: North Africa, Middle East, Pakistan, India and Northern Sri Lanka

Echis carinatus sinhaleyus : Endemic to Sri Lanka

Fairly common in the arid semi deserts of the Northern Sri Lanka as far south as Anuradhapura and Pollonnaruwa.

References:

UETZ, Peter: EMBL Reptile Database (2000)

WALL, Frank: Snakes of Ceylon (1921)

Acknowledgements:

Photos from EMBL Reptile Database (Photographer Peter Uetz)