What Is A Carpet Viper

The west african carpet viper s venom is potently cytotoxic causing severe pain swelling blistering and in many cases severe tissue damage.

What is a carpet viper.

The name echis is the latin transliteration of the greek word for viper ἔχις. Saw scaled vipers carpet vipers is a genus of venomous vipers found in the dry regions of africa the middle east india sri lanka and pakistan. We can find this 2 feet snake in western africa. Gaboon viper bitis gabonica gaboon vipers are the largest vipers in the world reaching lengths of up to 7 feet 213 cm and more than 22 lbs.

The saw scaled or carpet viper echis carinatus whose range extends from senegal to bengal probably bites and kills more people than any other species of snake. Actually its venom reacts slowly but it causes big damages. Echis pyramidum is a species of venomous viper endemic to northeast africa and the arabian peninsula three subspecies are currently recognized including the nominate subspecies described here. It is typically very venomous so a bite can often be fatal.

The ocellated carpet viper or echis ocellatus inhabits the countries of senegal gambia and gulf of guinea in the african continent. The west african carpet viper is a small snake with an average total length of approximately 20 inches 1 5 feet. Monovalent antivenom is effective and should be administered. 10 kilograms according to the adw.

These spots are designed to confuse potential predators. They are typically yellowish brown in color with distinctive eye like spots along the length of their bodies. Like the boomslang their venom is haemotoxic causing. Its bite causes more than 20 000 deaths of agricultural workers per year.

This species along with the closely related echis ocellatus both of the carpet viper species cause the most cases of. Northeast african carpet viper egyptian saw scaled viper more. Burton s carpet viper is the name given to echis coloratus or painted saw scaled viper of eastern egypt palestine syria and israel. They have a characteristic threat display rubbing sections of their body together to produce a sizzling warning sound.

One hundred and fifteen patients with poisoning caused by its bite were studied in the savanna region of nigeria where victims of this snake may occupy 10 per cent of hospital beds.