Cerastes gasperettii
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cerastes gasperettii, also known commonly as the Arabian horned viper and Gasperetti's horned viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to the Arabian Peninsula[3] and north to Israel, Iraq, and Iran. It is very similar in appearance to C. cerastes, but the geographic ranges of these two species do not overlap.[6] No subspecies of C. gasperettii are recognized.[7]
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| Cerastes gasperettii Temporal range: Pleistocene-recent[1] | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Genus: | Cerastes |
| Species: | C. gasperettii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cerastes gasperettii Leviton & S. Anderson, 1967 | |
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| Synonyms[3] | |
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Etymology
The specific name, gasperettii, is in honor of John Gasperetti, an American surveyor, engineer, and herpetologist, who collected the holotype specimen.[8][9]
Description
The average total length (including tail) of Cerastes gasperettii is 30–60 cm (12–24 in), with a maximum total length of 85 cm (33 in). Females are usually larger than males.[4]
Diet
The diet of Cerastes gasperettii is thought to primarily consist of rodents, with insects, particularly beetles, and lizards making up a less significant component of its diet.[10]
Reproduction
Geographic range
In the Arabian Peninsula Cerastes gasperettii has been found in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It is found in the Arava valley, located on the border between southern Israel and Jordan, eastwards through Jordan and Iraq to Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran.[2]
The type locality given is "Beda Azan [23°41'N., 53°28'E.], Abu Dhabi [Abū Zaby]" [United Arab Emirates].[3]