Echis coloratus, known as the painted saw-scaled viper,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . painted carpet viper, Burton's carpet viper,Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. The Dangerous Snakes of Africa. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. . and by other common names, is a highly venomous viper species endemic to the Middle East and Egypt. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Description It grows to a maximum total length (body + tail) of .
Common names
Painted saw-scaled viper, painted carpet viper, Burton's carpet viper, Palestine saw-scaled viper, Arabian saw-scaled viper,Echis coloratus at Munich AntiVenom INdex. Accessed 2 August 2007. Mid-East saw-scaled viper.
Geographic range It is found in the Middle East and North Africa. It occurs in Egypt east of the Nile from near the southern border to the Sinai Peninsula, and its range extends eastwards into the Negev in Israel, Palestine's West Bank region, and Jordan. On the adjoining Arabian Peninsula it has been recorded in Western Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Southern Oman.
The type locality given is "on Jebel Shárr, at an altitude of 4500 feet ... Midian" (Saudi Arabia, 1371 m altitude).
Habitat It occurs in rocky deserts, from sea level to altitudes as high as . It is not found in sandy deserts.
Taxonomy In order to maintain nomenclatural stability, Stimson (1974) proposed that E. coloratus be validated over E. froenata. The ICZN subsequently gave coloratus precedence over froenata by use of its plenary powers.
References
Further reading Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the ... Viperidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I.- XXV. (Echis coloratus, p. 507 + Plate XXV, Figure 1). Duméril, A.-M.-C., G. Bibron, and A.[-H.-A.] Duméril. 1854. Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie. Comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris: Roret. xii + pp. 781–1536. ("Echis frœnata", pp. 1449–1450). Gunther, A. 1878. On Reptiles from Midian collected by Major Burton. Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1878: 977–978. (Echis colorata, p. 978).
External links
Echis coloratus at CalPhotos. Accessed 2 August 2007.
"What Fiery Flying Serpent Symbolized Christ?" at Meridian Magazine. Accessed 16 December 2008.