Desert Horned Viper

The desert horned viper (or Cerastes cerastes) is a venomous snake native to the deserts and semi-deserts of Northern Africa and the Middle East. It is also known as the Saharan horned viper or Arabian horned viper. The body of the desert horned viper is sand-coloured, often with a paler underside. They may have slightly darker brown mottling on their scales as camouflage. The head is large and triangular. Most notably, they may have distinctive, pointed horns above their eyes, from which they get their name. Males and females look alike, although females tend to be slightly larger. Their body length varies from 30cm to 60cm long.

Desert horned vipers are a species of Least Concern and are not endangered. Animals are collected locally by snake charmers, for venom collection, and for the pet trade in small numbers. They are often subject to human persecution when encountered. Their population is common and widespread in its native range. The species is found in protected areas of North Africa but otherwise has no ongoing conservation actions. The long-term outlook for this species appears to be a stable population across its wide native range. Additional studies are required on both the sustainability of venom harvests and the genetic study of subspecies.