Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My husband and I are going on holiday to Oman in January, and I was just wondering if anyone knows if the venomous snake species there hibernate in winter? I understand from a book we have that the land species we're likely to encounter around Muscat are the carpet viper (Echis carinatus) and horned viper (Cerastes cerastes gasperettii) - but the book doesn't say if they hibernate and I can't find out on the internet either. I'd also be interested to know if the non venomous species such as the diadem snake (Spalerosophis diadema) and racer (Coluber rhodorachis) hibernate. We'd only be wanting to observe them, of course, not try handling them! Does anyone know about these species?

Any information gratefully received! Thanks,

Jessica

I don't know, but I can make a suggestion. Check the average temperatures for that area for the time frame you intend to visit. If the temps are much below fifty F, it would be a safe bet that even if the snakes were not in hibernation, they would not likely be active.

~~Greg~~

Average daytime high in January is 77F, nighttime low 63F. I guess you're right that that means they probably don't hibernate. It's just that I know snakes in different countries will hibernate at different temperatures - that's why I wondered. For instance, I live in the UK and adders here (Vipera berus) are often out when it's, say 50 degrees in the spring if it's sunny - whereas I've been to Phoenix in winter when it's no colder than this and rattlesnakes are hibernating.

I have not studied this much, since I live in sub-tropical south Florida, where snakes do not hibernate, but may estivate during the Summer. I think that day length has as much to do with hibernation as does temperature. This may explain your observations on Vipera and Crotalus.

~~Greg~~

That's an interesting point. We saw a few non venomous snakes in Florida when we were there in January this year - no venomous ones, unfortunately. I've only seen one venomous snake in the US, a western diamondback in Phoenix, and that was in September. Oman is at a similar latitude to southern Florida, slightly further south (just south of the Tropic of Cancer).

I live in Dubai - which is pretty close to Muscat, 4 hr drive away anyway. The temps in Muscat tend to be a bit colder than Dubai. January is the closest month of the year for this region. At night it drops to around 18 degrees celsius. Day is around 25. Muscat is also quite built up. I've heard its better to go the area of Salalah for any sort of Omani wildlife. Hope that helps!

Thanks for your reply - that's interesting to know. We're very keen on wildlife in general and have bought a book on birds in Oman, in which there is a whole section just for Dhofar; and also a lot of the snakes appear only to live in the south, e.g. Naja haje arabica. Unfortunately we're only there for a week and will be in the north the whole time - Muscat, Nizwa and Sur, and an overnight stay at a camp in the Wahiba Sands - so we won't get to Salalah. I've never been anywhere in the Middle East but am very excited about going to Oman and already suspect that it won't be our only trip there - there seems to be so much to see - so perhaps next time we'll get to Salalah! You are lucky to live in Dubai. No cold weather (except occasionally at night?) - I could get used to that!

Oman is beautiful - my favorite place I've been to in this region. Very unspoilt and plenty to see - Dubai is so built up now, with so much construction - still a great place to live, but changed for the worst in the last few years. Although I wouldn't swap it for UK winters! Have a great trip and let us know how you get on

Thanks! We will. I hope we do get to see some snakes.

I was in Oman earlier this year - a realy nice place.

Try walking along wadis with some water in the foothills of the mountains - Echis omanensis can be very common locally, and are often seen in the daytime during the cooler parts of the year, coiled up in ambush position near water. Wadi Bani Auf has some good spots.

Cheers,

WW
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Thanks for the tip - we'll try that. We should get to some wadis, if not Wadi Bani Auf. Glad to hear you enjoyed Oman - everyone seems to.