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InsaneGelfling — Snake in the sand

Published: 2008-07-09 16:45:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 733; Favourites: 30; Downloads: 17
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Description The Sahara horned viper lives in the desert. They usually bury themselves in the sand in order to keep cool in the desert heat. They overwinter in the borrowed burrows of rodents or burrowing lizards.

They usually move with their bodies in front of their heads in order to keep the sun out of their faces, using their bodies as a wall. They normally hunt during the night. They received their name because of the two horns that stick out of the top of their heads.

Horned vipers are egg-layers. Mating takes place from April to June, and the female will lay around 12-20 eggs in damp soil. The eggs incubate for about 8 weeks and then hatch. The young snakes become sexually mature in about two years. Captive specimens of this snake can live as long as 18 years.

Source - whozoo.org

The horns on the Sahara horned viper's head are thought to keep sand from getting in the snake's eyes as it travels through the desert.

Sahara horned viper.
Cerastes cerastes
West Midlands Safari Park.
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Comments: 7

AngiWallace [2008-07-12 14:52:48 +0000 UTC]

Fab shot, I love cerastes.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

InsaneGelfling In reply to AngiWallace [2008-07-12 15:14:12 +0000 UTC]

Thank you.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Snakefox [2008-07-11 21:22:42 +0000 UTC]

lovely

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

InsaneGelfling In reply to Snakefox [2008-07-11 21:33:01 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

Miss-Lissa [2008-07-11 21:21:24 +0000 UTC]

wow great shot i love it

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

InsaneGelfling In reply to Miss-Lissa [2008-07-11 21:33:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

To-Dream-of-Wolves [2008-07-10 14:05:50 +0000 UTC]

Snaaaaaaaakk!!!!

👍: 0 ⏩: 0