Efa snake is beautiful. Sandy Efa - Echis carinatus Schneid. Cruel or ferocious

Sandy efa is one of the ten most poisonous snakes in the world. Its venom causes profuse bleeding at the site of the bite, as well as from the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes and nose. Hemorrhage may also occur in internal organs. About 20% of victims die from its bite. If the antidote is administered in time, the person can still be saved.

Sandy epha (lat. Echis carinatus) (English: Saw-scaled Viper). Photo by Tim Vickers

Unlike their close relatives - common vipers, the sand epha has chosen as its habitat more arid and hotter places - the clayey deserts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the sandy expanses of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and India. There are no particular problems with the choice of shelter - most often these are thickets of bushes, cracks or gullies in river cliffs, or rodent holes.

The sand epha is a small snake. The length of her body rarely exceeds 75 centimeters. The color is dim, but beautiful. There are light zigzag stripes along the sides of the body, and on the head there is a light spot, shaped like a flying bird. The color of the scales, depending on the habitat, can vary from light brown to gray.

Her entire body is covered with ribbed scales. Several rows of lateral scales directed downward serve the snake as “ musical instrument» to create a warning signal - a loud rustling sound, reminiscent of hissing.

Characteristics This snake is also known for its way of moving and its ability to make loud warning sounds. On the sand they move not like all snakes - in waves, but sideways, with short throws of the body to the side. It looks something like this: first the snake lifts its head to the side, then pulls the back part of its body towards it, and only then the front. As a result of this trajectory of the body’s movement, traces of individual oblique strips with curved ends become clearly visible on the sand.

These are quite fast and agile snakes, which plays into their hands when hunting small rodents, small snakes, lizards and various amphibians. The young animals are not yet able to handle such a large animal and therefore have to be content with crunchy locusts, centipedes, scorpions and other similar living creatures found in these places.

Most of the year they hunt during the day and only in the summer - at night, when the stifling heat subsides and the scorching sun sets. In late autumn and winter they hibernate, but sometimes they can come out to bask in the sun.

The breeding season occurs at the end of February - beginning of March and lasts about a month. The cubs are born in July-August. Unlike many other snakes, the sand ephas is a viviparous snake. The female brings from 3 to 16 baby snakes.

In total, scientists have counted more than 2,500 species of snakes in the world, but only 410 of them are poisonous. They differ from each other not only in structure and way of life, but also chemical composition poison, its effect on a living organism. Official statistics state that up to 50,000 people die from snakebites every year. What is the most dangerous snake in the world?

Evaluation criterion

It is definitely difficult to answer which poisonous snake of all their diversity is the most dangerous to humans. Why? Because not only the toxicity of the poison matters, but also the aggressiveness of the snake, the method of attack, the amount of poison injected during the bite, and the location of the teeth. Putting all the factors together, scientists have identified the most dangerous snake on the planet - the sand epha for the following reasons:

• died because of her more people than from all other poisonous snakes combined;
• every 5th person bitten dies even today, in the age of high medical technologies;
• If a person still survives, then he will have health problems for the rest of his life. Most often, the consequences of a sand ephas bite have a detrimental effect on the kidneys and liver.

Appearance: a small snake belongs to the family of vipers, its average length is 55-60 cm, the maximum is 75 cm, and males are always larger than females. Their skin is very beautiful. The general tone is golden-sandy or gray; on the sides of the body is decorated with a large zigzag pattern, along which white spots stretch. The head is decorated with a dark cross.

Efa is distinguished by its peculiar scales: the dorsal scales have sharply protruding ribs, and the small and narrow lateral scales are directed obliquely downwards and are equipped with jagged ribs. Efa cannot hiss, but with the help of its side scales it creates a special noise, warning of an attack. This loud crackling sound is reminiscent of oil boiling in a frying pan, which is why the sand epha is called a “boiling” snake.

Distribution area – Northern and partially Central Africa, Asia (Arabian Peninsula), Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan. A record number of eph live on the Hindustan Peninsula and the island of Sri Lanka. And on the Murghab River, which flows through the territory of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, snake catchers caught more than 2 thousand sand ephemerals in 5 years. They are also found in the United States.

They prefer sandy deserts with lonely saxauls and semi-deserts with sparse thickets of bushes and grasses. They develop clay soils and rocky areas.

Lifestyle: the sand epha spends its entire life on the move, in a hurry to get somewhere, and is almost impossible to see basking in the sun. Even in hibernation the epha does not flow. Although if the weather turns bad, she may hide in a shelter for a while.

If males and females mate in January, then the offspring appear in March; if mating occurs in March-April, then the offspring are born in July-August. The viviparous epha gives birth to 5-15 cubs at a time.

Ephs feed on small animals - insects, mice, chicks, lizards, lake frogs, scorpions, centipedes.

This dangerous snake moves very quickly and in a peculiar way - sideways. She throws her head to the side, then pulls up her entire body, leaving a characteristic trail in the form of a loop behind her.

Behavior: serpentologists believe that the sand epha is the most dangerous snake on the planet. Its poison is extremely toxic, it is not afraid of people, crawls into the territory of the settlement, and attacks often, energetically and swiftly. Considering the speed of movement and the fact that the snake can make half-meter jumps, it is dangerous to be closer than 5 meters from it.

It is from its bites that the most deaths are recorded. She behaves especially aggressively during the mating and molting period.

The effect of the poison on humans: the poison of the sand epha has a complex composition. Once in the body, it disrupts blood clotting, causes a decrease in blood pressure, and kidney necrosis. There is a characteristic clinical picture: sharp pain, swelling and inflammation of tissue in the bite area. Numerous internal bleeding is accompanied by heavy bleeding from the nose, gums, and eyes. Bloody vomiting, dizziness, weakness, drowsiness, severe headache, fever, and delirium are common. The poison may cause convulsions and shock. Has an extended effect. Even after rendering medical care the patient needs observation, since deterioration of the condition with a fatal outcome can occur within 40 days after the bite. This is a record among snakes.

After a bite, the victim should be taken to the hospital as quickly as possible, because without the introduction of a special serum death inevitable.

One of the most tragic cases occurred in Cairo in 1987. Three children wandered into an abandoned house, where they came across a sand ephas nest. The snake bit everyone. The children died within 2 hours.

The most poisonous snake on Earth is the sea striped belcher. She lives in Indian and Pacific Oceans. There are especially many of these snakes near the northwestern coast of Australia, off the coasts of Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines and Solomon Islands. This is a very interesting reptile up to 1 meter long, which can dive to a depth of 200 meters and absorbs oxygen from the water with its skin, remaining under water for up to 8 hours. This is a viviparous snake. She gives birth to 1-2 cubs at a time. The Belcher feeds on small fish and shellfish.

The venom of the striped snake acts as a neurotoxin, being the most toxic of all known to science snake venoms. Its bite kills a person within 1 minute, and just one drop of it can kill a thousand people.

Fortunately, the Belchera is a very peaceful reptile. Divers can safely swim past it, and it will not attack; fishermen carefully remove entangled snakes from their nets, and they do not touch them. Striped snake bites a person only if she is hurt or teased.

Tiger

Latest Scientific research confirmed that it is the most poisonous land snake– brindle. A drop of its poison kills up to four hundred people.

It lives in Australia, is found on the island of Tasmania and New Guinea. The skin can be olive, dark brown and black with transverse golden stripes. It grows from one and a half to two meters. Main food - small mammals, amphibians and birds. Viviparous and very fertile, there are up to 30 cubs in one litter.

After a bite, a person dies within 30 minutes due to paralysis of the respiratory center and cardiac arrest. The antitoxic serum must be administered within 3 minutes, otherwise death is inevitable. The only thing that saves you is that tiger snake attacks only as a last resort and will most likely crawl into the bushes when meeting a person.

Cruel or ferocious

This is the second most poisonous land snake on the planet after the tiger. One drop of it can kill 100 people.

The fierce snake, or inland taipan, lives in central Australia and is rare. The body reaches a length of 1.9 meters. Her distinctive feature is the ability to change the color of the skin depending on the time of year. It gets darker in winter and brightens in summer. It reproduces by laying eggs - from 10 to 20 in one clutch.

A bite from an inland taipan kills a person within an hour. Its poison blocks muscle function (nerve-paralytic effect) and at the same time clots the blood (coagulative).

A cruel, or ferocious, snake does not live up to its name, since it behaves calmly and does not attack without a good reason.

The closest relative of the cruel snake. It is also incredibly poisonous, besides it is very aggressive and quick to kill, even attacks apparent reason. Makes 3-4 lightning-fast attacks, biting the victim and leaving him virtually no chance of survival. Due to the strong toxicity of the venom and hostility, it is often called the most dangerous snake on the planet along with the sand ephas.

The habitat of the three-meter reptile is Australia, New Guinea and the island of Tasmania. The skin is a uniform light or dark brown color. Feeds on small animals. Reproduces by laying eggs. There are usually 10-15 eggs in a clutch.

A taipan bite leads to death within a few hours. The poison paralyzes the respiratory center and disrupts blood clotting. If an antidote is not administered, death is inevitable. Even with the introduction of the serum, every second person bitten dies.

For a very long time, scientists did not have the opportunity to study the common taipan. Only in 1950, a young snake catcher, Kevin Baden, caught one specimen at the cost of his own life. Thanks to a brave young man, scientists were able to create an antidote to taipan poison.

The most dangerous snakes in the world

In addition to the top five named above, the most terrible snakes in the world are the following:

• malay krait,
• mulga (brown king),
• black Mamba,
• green mamba,
• african boomslang,
• Philippine Cobra,
• common viper,
• Indian (spectacled) cobra,
• egyptian cobra,
• gabon viper,
• Australian spinytail,
• bungara,
• rattlesnake,
• puff adder,
• hook-nosed sea snake,
• harlequin (eastern) asp,
• bushmaster or surukuku,
• horned viper.

The article lists the most dangerous snakes in the world, an encounter with which can end very sadly for a person.

The snake that will be discussed in this article belongs to the family of vipers, and they, in turn, are considered the crown of evolution of reptiles and are recognized as the most poisonous snakes in the world. The sand efa, despite its beautiful appearance and quite friendly character, is capable of very poisoning its opponent in a matter of seconds. strong poison, which, even after administration of the serum, will remind the bitten person of health problems for the rest of his life.

What does sand efa look like?

These cold blooded ones are no different large sizes, their average body length is 70–75 cm, and individuals longer than one meter are very rare. Males are slightly larger than females. Their body is decorated with white spots, and two zigzag lines run along the sides, giving the snake an elegant and unusual appearance.

There is a design on the head that looks like a cross or a bird soaring in the sky. The eyes are big round shape, the color of the iris depends on the overall color of the scales, the pupil is vertical. The ventral side is light yellow, and the color of the scales can be either golden or brown - the exact color depends on the area where the snakes live.

The body of the epha is covered with small and rough scales, some of them grow in the opposite direction and are used by the snake to notify others of its appearance - they make a special sound, similar to rustling or a kind of rustling.

Did you know? The sand epha is capable of jumping to a height of more than one meter and approximately three meters in length. An angry female, guarding her nest, will rush at her opponent with lightning speed without warning of the attack. That is why in mating season snakes are especially dangerous.

Is the bite dangerous for humans?

It is not for nothing that the sand epha is one of the ten most poisonous snakes on Earth. Every fifth person bitten by the sand ephas dies. The toxins contained in its venom have a special effect on the hematopoietic process - they sharply reduce the level of fibrinogen, a special protein responsible for blood clotting.
Without rendering necessary assistance the person bitten will soon begin to bleed heavily - from the wound at the site of the bite, nose, ears and even throat. A particular danger is the long wait for the body's reaction to the poison - death can occur 40 days after the epha's bite.

It should be noted that these snakes prefer to lead a reclusive lifestyle and avoid meeting people. As practice shows, most efa bites occurred because of humans - the victims either stepped on the reptile or stirred up its nest, even if this happened unintentionally.

Where does it live?

Efa prefers to hide in thickets of branchy bushes that grow in sandy areas, on the banks of shallow rivers, as well as in areas where loess and clay soils predominate.
This type of poisonous snake is widespread in the deserts of India, northeast Africa and in the arid areas of countries East Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.

What does it eat?

Sand ephs differ from their relatives by their increased activity - they are in constant motion, even after a hearty lunch. The main part of the sand epha's diet consists of various insects - locusts, beetles and centipedes. Adults are not averse to pampering themselves with small rodents, chicks and even small lizards.

Important! One of the main rules for providing first aid for a poisonous snake bite is to suck out the poison from the wound at the site of the bite. This technique significantly reduces the amount of toxins that enter the human blood. But this is effective only in the first ten minutes after the bite.

The snake goes out hunting after dark, but encountering it during the day is not uncommon.
True, on particularly hot days she does not leave her hole, preferring to move in the cool of the night. With a slight decrease in temperature in winter period they can easily overwinter without hibernating.

Mating season and reproduction

Mating dances among Ephs begin with the beginning of winter, and mating begins in January. Another feature of this breed of snake is viviparity. The female gives birth to babies in March; in total, the offspring range from three to fifteen nimble babies. Their body length immediately after birth does not exceed 15 cm.

Now you know what one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet looks like. When planning to visit countries where you can come face to face with the sand ephemeral, stay away from its favorite habitats - rocky cliffs and dense bushes.

Where they live: northeast Australia

Length: 3.5 meters

The strength of the venom is such that one bite can kill about 100 adults or 250,000 mice. Maximum dose (per bite) 100 mg.

The history of taipan exploration is associated with many dramatic events. Very for a long time people could not get this snake, and all the scientists’ information was based only on the legends of local residents about it.

The taipan was first described from a single specimen in 1867. In the next 56 years, no new information there was no information about this snake. However, at that time there was an urgent need to develop an antidote. After all, more than 80 people died from taipan poisoning in Australia every year.

Finally, on June 28, 1950, a young catcher from Sydney, Kevin Baden, went in search of this snake. He found the taipan, but when the catcher took the snake in his hands, it was able to dodge and bite his finger. Baden died, but the snake was still taken to the research center.

Mulga (Pseudechis australis) - Brown King

Habitat: Australia

Length: 2.5 - 3 meters

Mulga venom is considered highly poisonous and is produced in large quantities. In one bite average snake Mulga can secrete 150 mg of poison.

Mulga is found throughout almost the entire territory of Australia - the entire northern and most of the western territory of the mainland. They can be found in all states except Victoria and Tasmania. Mulga habitats include forests, meadows, grasslands, deserts, deep crevices and abandoned burrows. They don't live in tropical forests.

Mulga feeds on other reptiles: snakes (including poisonous ones), lizards, frogs, as well as birds and mammals. Their body is well adapted to digest other poisonous snakes; their venom is not dangerous for the mulga.

Habitat: Australia, South Asia, islands of the Malay archipelago

Length: 1.5-2 m

One dose is enough to kill 10 people.

Prefers dry places rich in shelters (burrows, bushes, dead wood). Very often it crawls onto cultivated lands, into courtyards, and into people’s houses. That is why there are so many cases of snake attacks on people.

The most common species is the pama or ribbon krait, found in India, southern China and Burma. Its one and a half meter body is covered with wide alternating yellow and black rings. Its venom is very strong, even a viper dies from the bite of this snake, although vipers are considered susceptible to many types of poison. If you encounter a krait during the day, there is little chance that it will attack. At this time, the snake is extremely lethargic, avoids the sun, seeks shade and moves slowly. If she is disturbed, she usually does not rush, but crawls to the side and curls up into a ring. But at night, kraits are extremely unfriendly; they can attack even if they are not threatened.

Their poison is very strong. A bitten chicken dies within 15 minutes, and one dose is enough to kill 10 people. The scientist Roussel conducted experiments to find out how the krait poison works. A dog bitten by a snake, 10 minutes after the bite, began to twitch its wounded limb and raised it up, but could still stand. After 5 minutes she lay down and started barking. Within 25 minutes of the bite, both hind legs were paralyzed. During the second hour, the paralysis worsened: the dog began to breathe heavily and died by the end of this hour.

Since kraits can lead a diurnal lifestyle, and, moreover, they are quite numerous, there are constant meetings between snakes and humans. More often than any other snake, the krait crosses the path of a traveler, penetrates not only into open huts, but even into locked houses, curling up on the threshold of a door, in the corner of a room, in a closet, and slips into bedrooms and bathrooms.

Where it lives: Australia, except for the most northern regions, Tasmania and a number of islands off the south coast

Length: 1.5-2 m

Among all the snakes that inhabit our planet, tiger snakes have the most powerful venom. Small animals bitten by a tiger snake die instantly, not even a few seconds pass. And all the poison contained in the glands of one snake is enough to kill 400 people! Snake venom affects nervous system the victim and paralyzes her. When the poison reaches nerve centers, controlling breathing and heartbeat, the victim dies.

An encounter with a tiger snake is very dangerous, although local residents and reassure tourists. They say, despite the fact that the tiger snake is the most poisonous, it is the most cowardly: it never crawls into houses, does not deliberately rush at people and generally tries to stay away from them. Attacks only when defending.

The egg is viviparous and brings abundant offspring - usually up to 72 snakes. (There is a known case when 109 embryos were found during autopsy in a large female.

When excited, the tiger snake raises the front part of its body high, greatly flattening its head and neck. Small animals bitten by a tiger snake die instantly, literally without leaving the spot.

Habitat: India, southern China, Burma, Siam, Afghanistan, and southern regions Turkmenistan to the Caspian Sea

Length: 1.4-1.81 m

“When Buddha once wandered the earth and fell asleep under the rays of the midday sun, a cobra appeared, expanded its shield and shaded the face of the god from the sun. Pleased with this, the god promised her extreme mercy, but forgot about his promise, and the snake was forced to remind him of this, since the vultures were causing terrible devastation among them at that time. In defense against these birds of prey Buddha gave the cobra glasses, which kites are still afraid of today.”

As long as it is not disturbed, the snake lazily lies in front of the entrance to its home, usually basks in the sun, and when a person appears, as a rule, it quickly hides. Only when brought to the extreme does she rush at the attacker.

Cobra venom has neurotoxic effects. A minute later, complete paralysis sets in. I spectacled cobra so toxic that a chicken dies from its bite in 4 minutes, and a laboratory mouse dies in 2 minutes.

But the cobra never bites a person unless absolutely necessary, and even if it makes a throw towards the enemy, it often does not open its mouth (a fake throw). Never anger a cobra. Even if it is nearby, you should not hit the snake with a stick or throw any objects at it. This will only anger the reptile, and it will attack in self-defense.

Length: 70–80 cm

Habitat: Found in foothills and valleys Central Asia, in all northern Africa to Algeria

Lives in lumpy sands overgrown with saxaul, in clay deserts, thickets of bushes, on river cliffs and in ruins. In favorable conditions, efa can be very numerous. For example, in the valley of the Murgab River, over an area of ​​about 1.5 km, snake catchers produced more than 2 thousand ef.

Efa is an amazing snake. In many ways it differs from its cold-blooded counterparts. For example, ephas may not hibernate if the winter is not cold. They can mate in January. And by March, small snakes appear, while in other snakes they appear no earlier than June. Surprisingly, the efa does not lay eggs and gives birth to live snakes. The female brings from 3 to 16 young reptiles 10-16 cm long.

Despite the fact that the epha is one of the most poisonous snakes, it rarely attacks living creatures that are larger than a vole. Most often, its prey is centipedes, spiders, grasshoppers, and midges. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the efa is quite nimble and cannot, like many snakes, simply lie in the sun. But in order to digest large prey, you need to be at rest for a long time.

Efa is characterized by sideways movement. She throws her head to the side, then brings the back of her body forward and pulls up the front of her body. This method creates better body support on a loose substrate. Because of this method of movement, a characteristic mark remains on the sand - individual oblique stripes with hooked ends.

Efa very rarely crawls into people's houses, but it still happens sometimes. Similar cases have been recorded in Egypt. You need to be especially careful with ruins or abandoned houses. In 1987, three children died in Cairo after finding a nest in an abandoned house where no one had lived for many years. The children entered this house out of curiosity and accidentally disturbed the ef family hiding there. The snake, protecting its newly born offspring, attacked the children. They could not be saved because the poison acted very quickly.

A first aid measure for a bite is to immediately suck out the venom from the wounds, so that a significant part of the venom can be removed from the body. Squeezing out the venom with your fingers and suctioning should be done within 7-10 minutes after the bite. Suctioning is completely safe for the people doing it. A tourniquet should not be applied. It practically does not delay the process of absorption of poisons.

Habitat: Australia, northern Africa, Brazil, Argentina, West Indies Islands

Length: from 60 cm to 2.5 m

The most common species are the Egyptian adder, the Coral adder and the Common adder. The Egyptian adder is the most poisonous snake of this genus. A person dies from its bite within 5 minutes. Its average size is about two meters. In color it resembles spectacled snake. It is believed that the asp can cause harm not only when it bites, it can spit poisonous saliva at a distance of almost one and a half meters.

The common adder is found in Australia and New Guinea. Its length is up to 1.5 meters. It has a very unfriendly disposition, as it attacks everyone who comes in its way, be it a pet or a person. From its bite they die quickly and in terrible agony.

If the asp attacks, then there is very little chance of escape. The traveler Anderson told the following story: “One day my friend was collecting herbs. Suddenly, a snake, previously unnoticed by him, pounced and tried to bite his hand. Anderson, without hesitation, ran away. The snake would have been able to catch up with him, but this story ended unexpectedly - the running man did not notice the anthill, tripped and fell into the nearest ditch. The snake, apparently blinded by rage, rushed past without noticing that the man had fallen..."

There is a vaccine against asp venom. But the fact is that the poison acts with lightning speed. A person dies in 7 minutes, so there is simply no time to administer the antidote. 8 out of 10 people bitten die.

Habitat: South and South-West Africa

Length: from 50 cm to 3 meters

The venom of the African boomslang is 2 times more dangerous than the venom of a viper or Indian cobra.

The front teeth on the upper jaw have a groove. This is where the poison flows during a bite. The poison itself is very toxic. As soon as it enters the bloodstream, it immediately begins to destroy cells. Experiments were carried out, as a result of which ducks bitten by a boomslang died from poison after 15 minutes, and paralysis occurred within a minute. The venom of the African boomslang is twice as dangerous as that of the viper or Indian cobra.

There is a known tragic incident in 1957. At this time, the famous American zoologist and specialist in reptiles, Carl Paterson Schmidt, died from a boomslang bite. He was trying to catch an African boomslang and study it: he grabbed the snake, and it was able to dodge and bite the zoologist on the hand. Dying, the scientist kept notes until the last moment in which he noted his condition.

Over the past 5 years, 23 people have died from the bite of the African boomslang. True, there are 2 times more deaths due to vipers, and almost 3 times more due to cobras.

With a boomslang, as with any other snake, you must be extremely careful: do not come close, do not anger the snake, do not make sudden movements.

Only through human fault does the boomslang become aggressive and attack. In 9 out of 10 cases, when meeting a person, the snake simply tries to hide. Don't touch the snake, then the snake won't touch you.

Habitat: South Africa

Length: up to 150 cm

The venom of the green mamba is very strong, it is even more toxic than the venom of some cobras. The green mamba can attack for no apparent reason.

Mamba - very beautiful snake. Her scales shimmer emerald green, with shades of blue and yellow. If a mamba attacks, there is very little chance of escape. The snake attacks without warning, and its venom acts so quickly that doctors do not even have time to administer the antidote on the spot, let alone bring it to the nearest hospital.

Of course, it is very difficult to notice this green snake in dense foliage. But still, if you are in places where green mambas can live, try to carefully monitor not only living creatures in the grass, but also look at the trees. If you notice a mamba in the leaves, do not take risks, but avoid it.

Habitat: Dagestan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya. Türkiye, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North-West India.

Length: up to 1.5 m

This is the viper, a local deadly snake. Despite the fact that a vaccine against its poison has now been invented, they often simply do not have time to administer it to the victim, and 20% of all those bitten die. Once in the blood, the poison begins to destroy red blood cells and causes blood clotting. Numerous internal hemorrhages, severe swelling in the bite area, and blockage of blood vessels occur. All this is accompanied by severe pain, dizziness, and vomiting. If prompt assistance is not provided, the person dies within 2-3 hours.

The number of these snakes is large. Up to 5 individuals live on one hectare. Moreover, sometimes vipers gather as a whole group. There have often been cases where up to 20 snakes were found under one small stone at once.

If nothing threatens the viper, it is very slow and prefers to lie in the sun or under some stone. She doesn’t even track prey, but waits, staying in one place. But such slowness and sluggishness are visible. The snake is slow when nothing and no one bothers it, but if necessary, it is capable of moving very quickly, including through trees. When danger appears, she quickly crawls to the nearest shelter. If its path is blocked, the viper emits a loud, threatening hiss and makes a sharp throw with its whole body towards the enemy.

The only representative of the genus distributed in the territory of the former USSR - in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan the subspecies Central Asian efa is represented ( ), which is sometimes considered a separate species.

Description

A medium-sized snake, about 50-60 cm long (up to 75 cm). There is a zigzag light stripe along the side of the body. There are white spots on the back and head; the brightness of the spots varies among different subspecies.

The scales are small, ribbed, the dorsal scales have protruding ribs. Along the sides of the body there are several (4-5) rows of small, obliquely directed downward scales, equipped with jagged ribs. The subcaudal scutes are arranged in one longitudinal row.

It can move through very loose sand using the so-called lateral move, in which the snake first throws its head to the side, then moves the back part of the body sideways and forward, and then pulls up the front part of the body. With this method of movement, a trace remains, consisting of separate oblique strips with hooked ends.

Spreading

Inhabits loess and clayey deserts, bush thickets, and river cliffs.

Behavior

Synonyms

Subspecies

• Echis carinatus astolae (Mertens, )
• Echis carinatus carinatus (Schneider, )
• Echis carinatus multisquamatus (Cherlin, )
• Echis carinatus sinhaleyus (Deraniyagala, )
• Echis carinatus sochureki (Stemmler, )

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Notes

1. Ananyeva N. B., Borkin L. Ya., Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Amphibians and reptiles. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of academician. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., 1988. - P. 362. - 10,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00232-X.
3. Daniels,J. C. (2002) The Book of Indian Reptiles and Amphibians, BNHS & Oxford University Press, Mumbai, pp 151-153. ISBN 0-19-566099-4 (English)
4. at the . (English) (Retrieved August 15, 2007)
5. on ZOOCLUB
6. Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 359 pp. ISBN 0-89464-877-2. (English)
7. at Munich Antivenom Index. (English) (Retrieved September 3, 2006)
8. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists" League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume). (English)

Literature

• A. G. Bannikov, I. S. Darevsky, A. K. Rustamov, “Amphibians and reptiles of the USSR”, Mysl Publishing House, Moscow, 1971
• Bannikov A.G., Darevsky I.S., Ishchenko V.G., Rustamov A.K., Shcherbak N.N. Key to amphibians and reptiles of the fauna of the USSR. - M.: Education, 1977. - P. 329-330. - 415 s.

• Pavlovsky E. N. Poisonous animals Central Asia and Iran. - Tashkent: State Publishing House of the UzSSR, 1942. - P. 27-29. - 117 p. - 3000 copies.

Links

• The Reptile Database:

An excerpt characterizing the Sandy Efa

"Who are they? Why are they? What do they need? And when will all this end? thought Rostov, looking at the changing shadows in front of him. The pain in my arm became more and more excruciating. Sleep was falling irresistibly, red circles were jumping in my eyes, and the impression of these voices and these faces and the feeling of loneliness merged with a feeling of pain. It was they, these soldiers, wounded and unwounded, - it was they who pressed, and weighed down, and turned out the veins, and burned the meat in his broken arm and shoulder. To get rid of them, he closed his eyes.
He forgot himself for one minute, but during this short period of oblivion he saw countless objects in his dreams: he saw his mother and her big white hand, saw Sonya’s thin shoulders, Natasha’s eyes and laughter, and Denisov with his voice and mustache, and Telyanin, and his whole story with Telyanin and Bogdanich. This whole story was one and the same thing: this soldier with a sharp voice, and this whole story and this soldier so painfully, relentlessly held, pressed and all pulled his hand in one direction. He tried to move away from them, but they did not let go of his shoulder, not even a hair, not even for a second. It wouldn’t hurt, it would be healthy if they didn’t pull on it; but it was impossible to get rid of them.
He opened his eyes and looked up. The black canopy of night hung an arshin above the light of the coals. In this light, particles of falling snow flew. Tushin did not return, the doctor did not come. He was alone, only some soldier was now sitting naked on the other side of the fire and warming his thin yellow body.
“Nobody needs me! - thought Rostov. - There is no one to help or feel sorry for. And I was once at home, strong, cheerful, loved.” “He sighed and involuntarily groaned with a sigh.
- Oh, what hurts? - asked the soldier, shaking his shirt over the fire, and, without waiting for an answer, he grunted and added: - You never know how many people have been spoiled in a day - passion!
Rostov did not listen to the soldier. He looked at the snowflakes fluttering over the fire and remembered the Russian winter with a warm, bright house, a fluffy fur coat, fast sleighs, a healthy body and with all the love and care of his family. “And why did I come here!” he thought.
The next day, the French did not resume the attack, and the rest of Bagration’s detachment joined Kutuzov’s army.

Prince Vasily did not think about his plans. He even less thought of doing evil to people in order to gain benefit. He was only a secular man who had succeeded in the world and made a habit out of this success. He constantly, depending on the circumstances, depending on his rapprochement with people, drew up various plans and considerations, of which he himself was not well aware, but which constituted the entire interest of his life. Not one or two such plans and considerations were in his mind, but dozens, of which some were just beginning to appear to him, others were achieved, and others were destroyed. He did not say to himself, for example: “This man is now in power, I must gain his trust and friendship and through him arrange for the issuance of a one-time allowance,” or he did not say to himself: “Pierre is rich, I must lure him to marry his daughter and borrow the 40 thousand I need”; but a man in strength met him, and at that very moment instinct told him that this man could be useful, and Prince Vasily became close to him and at the first opportunity, without preparation, by instinct, flattered, became familiar, talked about what what was needed.