About Cerastes vipera (Linnaeus, 1758)
Adults of Cerastes vipera average 20–35 cm (8–14 in) in total length, which includes both the body and the tail, and reach a maximum total length of 50 cm (1.6 ft). Females of this species are larger than males. This is a small, stout snake with a broad triangular head; its small eyes are positioned well forward, at the junction where the top and side of the head meet. Compared to other viperids, its hunting strategy is unique: it combines both sit-and-wait ambushing and active hunting. Active hunting is used mostly in the months just before hibernation, to increase energy intake ahead of the long dormant period. This species is known for burying itself in sand to stay cool, or to ambush prey. When threatened, it coils into a distinctive C-shape; this makes its scales rub against each other, producing a rasping or crackling sound. In arid North Africa, it can be found in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Tunisia, Libya, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Egypt. It occurs on the Sinai Peninsula in both Egyptian and Israeli territory. The species' type locality is listed as "Ægypto", meaning Egypt.
