Echis pyramidum

Echis pyramidum, known as the Northeast African carpet viper,^[3] Egyptian saw-scaled viper,^[4] and by other common names, is a species of viper endemic to Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.^[5]

Echis pyramidum
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Echis
Species:	E. pyramidum
Binomial name
Echis pyramidum (I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1827)
Synonyms[2]
Scythale pyramidum Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in Savigny, 1827 [Echis] arenicola F. Boie, 1827 Echis pavo Reuss, 1834 Echis varia Reuss, 1834 Vipera echis Schlegel, 1837 Vipera pyramidarum Schlegel, 1837 Echis [(Toxicoa)] arenicola — Gray, 1849 Toxicoa arenicola — Günther, 1858 Echis carinatus — Boulenger, 1896 (part) Echis carinatus pyramidum — Constable, 1949 Echis p[yramidum]. pyramidum — Cherlin, 1983 Echis pyramidum — Joger, 1984 Echis [(Toxicoa)] pyramidum pyramidum — Cherlin, 1990 Echis [(Toxicoa)] pyramidum lucidus Cherlin, 1990 Echis [(Toxicoa)] varia varia — Cherlin, 1990 Echis [(Toxicoa)] varia borkini Cherlin, 1990 Echis [(Toxicoa)] varia darevskii Cherlin, 1990 Echis pyramidum pyramidum — Golay et al., 1993

This species, along with the closely related Echis ocellatus (both of the Carpet viper species) cause the most cases of snakebite deaths in the world.^[6] Two antivenoms are available to counteract snakebites from this species: Polyvalent Anti-viper Venom by VACSERA in Egypt and SAIMR Echis antivenom by South African Vaccine Producers.^[7]

Etymology

The specific name, pyramidum, refers to the Egyptian pyramids.^[8][9]

Description

The average total length (body + tail) is 30–60 cm (12–24 in) with a maximum total length of 85 cm (33 in) (possibly slightly more).^[3]

Common names

Northeast African carpet viper,^[3] Egyptian saw-scaled viper,^[4] Egyptian carpet viper, Geoffroy's carpet viper.^[10]

Geographic range

In northeastern Africa it occurs in northern Egypt, central Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, and northern Kenya. There are also scattered populations in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula in western Saudi Arabia (south of the 18^th parallel), Yemen, South Yemen (in Hadhramaut), and in Oman.^[2]

The type locality given is "Egypte" (Egypt).^[2]

Disjunct populations reportedly occur in Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and northern Egypt. It is absent in southern Egypt.^[3][4]

Subspecies

Subspecies[5]	Taxon author[5]	Geographic range[4]
E. p. aliaborri	Drews & Sacherer, 1974	Northern Kenya
E. p. leakeyi	Stemmler & Sochurek, 1969	Northwestern Kenya, Southwest Ethiopia
E. p. pyramidum	(I.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1827)	Southern Arabia, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.