THE PENINSULA (Doha, Qatar) 25 Znovember 07 Horned viper spotted in Qatari desert

Doha: A rare species of snake has been spotted in the northern parts of Qatar.

The Horned Viper (Cerastes cerastes gasperetti), popularly known as sand viper, was spotted by the Qatar National History Group (QNHG) during one of their recent weekend expeditions.

Experts say horned viper is the only truly poisonous snake in Qatar. It is the most populous snake throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and its habitat stretches from Morocco, Western Iran, Iraq to Southern Sudan.

“As per the recorded data, horned viper was not spotted in Qatar at least for the last two decades,” Qatar Visitor, a blog on Qatar, quoted QNGH members as saying.

The viper's head is broad and triangular with two horns that stick out above each eye. It can grow up to eighty centimeters long, and has a tanned skin with darker spots.

It usually buries itself in the sand in order to keep cool in the desert heat. It moves with its body in front of its head in order to keep the sun out of its face, using its body as a wall. The viper normally hunts during the night.

The colour of the snake helps to camouflage it against sand or rocky ground, especially when it is partially buried. It is an ambush hunter, lurking quietly in a half buried position until an unwary lizard or rodent comes within reach, and then lunging quickly to capture its prey.

Though it is believed that horned vipers will not go out of their way to bite people, a series of bite cases have been reported in Saudi Arabia. Generally, Horned Viper's venom is neither quick nor potent enough. The bites are rarely fatal, with deaths seldom occurring in cases where the victim receives treatment within 6-10 hours of the bite.



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