Citation: Midtgaard, Rune. RepFocus - A Survey of the Reptiles of the World. (www.repfocus.dk).
Latest update:
July 16th, 2024.
 
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Genus
Echis
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Carpet Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers
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Sandrasselottern
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Tæppehugorme, Efaner
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1820 |  |
Echis Merrem (type species: Pseudoboa carinata Schneider 1801) |
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1849 | |
Toxicoa Gray (type species: Echis arenicola Boie in Boie 1827) |
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1990 | |
Turanechis Cherlin (type species: Echis carinatus sochureki Stemmler 1969) |
Contents:
12 species, of which 2 (16.7%) are endemic.
Endemism: 0%  100%
Remarks:
Several species (leucogaster, ocellatus, pyramidum) were previously regarded as races of carinatus.
Distribution:
N. and Equatorial Africa, Middle East, SW. and S. Asia.
Reported from:
Afghanistan,
Algeria,
Benin,
Burkina Faso,
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Chad,
Djibouti,
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
Eritrea
(incl.
Dahlak Archipelago),
Ethiopia,
Gambia,
Ghana,
Guinea,
India
(Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar,
Chhattisgarh,
Delhi,
Goa,
Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir,
Jharkhand,
Karnataka,
Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra,
Odisha,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu,
Telangana,
Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand,
West Bengal),
Iran,
Iraq,
Israel,
Ivory Coast,
Jordan,
Kenya,
Kuwait,
Libya,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Oman
(incl.
Masirah),
Pakistan,
Saudi Arabia
(incl.
Farasan Islands),
Senegal,
Somalia,
South Sudan,
Sri Lanka,
Sudan,
Tajikistan,
Togo,
Tunisia,
Turkmenistan,
United Arab Emirates,
Uzbekistan,
Western Sahara,
Yemen.
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Echis borkini
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Yemen Carpet Viper
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Jemenitische Sandrasselotter
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Yemen-tæppehugorm
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1990 | |
Echis varia borkini Cherlin |
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Echis borkini Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster 2009 |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of pyramidum (e.g., Golay & al. 1993). Revalidated by Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster (2009), although Schätti (2001) had also considered it a valid species.
Distribution:
Saudi Arabia
(incl.
Farasan Islands),
Yemen.
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Echis carinatus
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Common Carpet Viper, Phoorsa
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Gemeine Sandrasselotter
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Almindelig Tæppehugorm
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1801 | |
Pseudoboa carinata Schneider |
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Vipera carinata Merrem 1820 |
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Echis carinata Wagler 1830 |
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1802 | |
Echis horatta Shaw (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1803 | |
Scytale bizonatus Daudin (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1825 | |
Echis ziczac Gray (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1859 | |
Vipera superciliosa Jan (Golay & al. 1993) |
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Echis superciliosa Jan 1863 |
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1868 | |
Echis arenicola Strauch [not Echis arenicola Boie 1827] (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1951 | |
Echis carinatus sinhaleyus Deraniyagala |
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1969 | |
Echis carinatus sochureki Stemmler |
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Echis sochureki Cherlin 1983 |
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1970 | |
Echis carinatus astolae Mertens |
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Echis sochureki astolae Cherlin 1983 |
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1981 | |
Echis multisquamatus Cherlin |
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Echis carinatus multisquamatus Auffenberg & Rehman 1991 |
Other common names:
astolae: Astola Island Carpet Viper, Dark-blotched Carpet Viper
carinatus: Indian Carpet Viper, South Indian Carpet Viper
multisquamatus: Central Asian Carpet Viper, Waziristan Carpet Viper, (Cherlin's Carpet Viper)
sinhaleyus: Sri Lanka Carpet Viper
sochureki: Sind Carpet Viper, Sind Valley Carpet Viper, Sochurek's Carpet Viper
Remarks:
Includes five subspecies (astolae, carinatus, multisquamatus, sinhaleyus, sochureki), previously regarded as three separate species: carinatus (incl. subsp. sinhaleyus), multisquamatus (e.g., Ananjeva, Orlov, Khalikov, Darevsky, Ryabov & Barabanov 2006), and sochureki (incl. subsp. astolae). African records of carinatus refer to other species. Previously reported from Iraq (Khalaf 1959), but presence there needs confirmation (Leviton, Anderson, Adler & Minton 1992).
Distribution:
Afghanistan,
India
(Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar,
Chhattisgarh,
Delhi,
Goa,
Gujarat,
Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir,
Jharkhand,
Karnataka,
Kerala,
Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra,
Odisha,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu,
Telangana,
Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand,
West Bengal),
Iran,
Iraq,
Oman
(incl.
Masirah),
Pakistan,
Sri Lanka,
Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan,
United Arab Emirates,
Uzbekistan.
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Echis carinatus
© Rune Midtgaard
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Echis coloratus
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Painted Carpet Viper, Arabian Carpet Viper, (Burton's Carpet Viper)
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Arabische Sandrasselotter
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Arabisk Tæppehugorm
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1854 | |
Echis froenata Dumeril, Bibron & Dumeril [suppressed name] (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1981: Opinion 1176) |
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1878 | |
Echis colorata Günther [conserved name] (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1981: Opinion 1176) |
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2003 | |
Echis coloratus terraesanctae Babocsay |
Other common names:
terraesanctae: Israeli Carpet Viper, Palestine Carpet Viper, Holy Land Saw-scaled Viper
Remarks:
Previously included populations now known as omanensis.
Older records from United Arab Emirates and eastern Oman refer to omanensis (Babocsay 2004).
Alsdirawi's (1989) record from Kuwait needs verification.
Distribution:
Egypt
(incl.
Sinai),
Israel,
Jordan,
Oman,
Saudi Arabia,
Sudan,
Yemen.
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Echis hughesi
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Somali Carpet Viper, (Hughes' Carpet Viper)
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Somali-Sandrasselotter
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Somalisk Tæppehugorm
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1990 | |
Echis hughesi Cherlin |
Remarks:
Status uncertain, possibly conspecific with pyramidum (McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999; Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster 2009).
Distribution:
Somalia.
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Echis jogeri
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Mali Carpet Viper, (Joger's Carpet Viper)
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Mali-Sandrasselotter
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Malisk Tæppehugorm
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1990 | |
Echis jogeri Cherlin |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of ocellatus (e.g., Trape & Mane 2006).
Revalidated by Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster (2009).
Records from the Gambia of ocellatus are tentatively referred to jogeri.
Distribution:
Gambia,
Guinea,
Mali,
Senegal.
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Echis khosatzkii
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Dhofar Carpet Viper, (Khosatzki's Carpet Viper)
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Dhofar-Sandrasselotter
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Dhofar-tæppehugorm
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1990 | |
Echis khosatzkii Cherlin |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a synonym of pyramidum (e.g., Golay & al. 1993). Revalidated by Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster (2009).
Distribution:
Oman,
Yemen.
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Echis leucogaster
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White-bellied Carpet Viper
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Weissbauch-Sandrasselotter
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Hvidbuget Tæppehugorm
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1972 | |
Echis carinatus leucogaster Roman |
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Echis leucogaster Roman 1975 |
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Echis arenicola leucogaster Cherlin 1990 |
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Echis pyramidum leucogaster Geniez 2018 |
Remarks:
Status uncertain (Joger 1990; Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster 2009).
Regarded as a subspecies of pyramidum by some authors (e.g., Geniez 2018; Martinez-del-Marmol, Harris, Geniez, Pous & Salvi 2019),
but as a separate species by others (e.g., Golay & al. 1993; David & Ineich 1999; Baha el Din 2006; Padial 2006).
Although reported from Egypt (Berre 1989), the species does not occur in the country (Baha el Din 2006).
Also records from Guinea and Gambia are regarded as doubtful (U. Joger in David & Ineich 1999, p. 388).
Not listed as a valid species for Algeria by Beddek (2017), Rouag & Ziane (2023), or by Rouag, Ziane & Sousa (2024).
Distribution:
Algeria,
Burkina Faso,
Chad,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Morocco,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Senegal,
Sudan,
Tunisia,
Western Sahara.
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Echis megalocephalus
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Big-headed Carpet Viper, Large-headed Carpet Viper
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Grosskopf-Sandrasselotter
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Storhovedet Tæppehugorm
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1990 | |
Echis megalocephalus Cherlin |
Remarks:
Status uncertain, possibly conspecific with pyramidum (McDiarmid, Campbell & Touré 1999; Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster 2009).
The type locality ("islands in southern Red Sea") and the distribution of megalocephalus is unclear (Largen 1997),
but according to Borkin & Cherlin (1995), the species seems to be restricted to Nokra Island in the Dahlak Archipelago (Eritrea).
Spawls, Mazuch & Mohammad (2023) did not mention megalocephalus, presumably considering it a synonym of pyramidum.
Pending further studies, megalocephalus is provisionally retained herein as a separate species.
Moreover, all records of pyramidum from the Dahlak Archipelago, Eritrea, are tentatively referred to megalocephalus.
Distribution:
Eritrea
(Dahlak Archipelago).
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Echis ocellatus
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West African Carpet Viper, Ocellated Carpet Viper
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Augenfleck-Sandrasselotter, Westafrikanische Sandrasselotter
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Vestafrikansk Tæppehugorm
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1970 | |
Echis carinatus ocellatus Stemmler |
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Echis ocellatus Hughes 1976 |
Remarks:
Previously included the populations now assigned to jogeri and romani (Trape 2018).
Records from the Gambia are tentatively referred to jogeri.
Presence in the Sudan (Spawls & Branch 1995) needs confirmation.
Reports from Sierra Leone (e.g., Aylmer 1922 [as carinatus]) are considered erroneous (Trape & Baldé 2014).
Distribution:
Benin,
Burkina Faso,
Ghana,
Guinea,
Ivory Coast,
Mali,
Mauritania,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Togo.
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Echis omanensis
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Oman Carpet Viper
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Oman-Sandrasselotter
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Oman-tæppehugorm
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2004 | |
Echis omanensis Babocsay |
Remarks:
This species represents populations previously assigned to coloratus.
Distribution:
Oman,
United Arab Emirates.
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Echis pyramidum
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North East African Carpet Viper, Egyptian Carpet Viper
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Nordostafrikanische Sandrasselotter, Ägyptische Sandrasselotter, Ostafrikanische Sandrasselotter
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Ægyptisk Tæppehugorm
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1827 | |
Scythale pyramidium St. Hilaire |
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Echis carinatus pyramidum Constable 1949 |
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Echis pyramidum Cherlin 1990 |
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1827 | |
Echis arenicola Boie in Boie |
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Toxicoa arenicola Günther 1858 |
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1834 | |
Echis pavo Reuss (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1834 | |
Echis varia Reuss (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1837 | |
Vipera echis Schlegel [part] (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1969 | |
Echis carinatus leakeyi Stemmler & Sochurek |
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Echis pyramidum leakeyi Cherlin 1983 |
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1974 | |
Echis carinatus aliaborri Drews & Sacharer |
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Echis pyramidum aliaborri Cherlin 1983 |
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Echis varia aliaborri Cherlin 1990 |
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1990 | |
Echis pyramidum lucidus Cherlin (Golay & al. 1993) |
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1990 | |
Echis varia darevskii Cherlin (Golay & al. 1993) |
Other common names:
aliaborri: Red Carpet Viper
leakeyi: Kenya Carpet Viper, Leakey's Carpet Viper
Remarks:
Now restricted to Africa.
Previously included borkini, khosatzkii, and leucogaster.
Also see remarks under megalocephala.
Arabian records refer to the former two species (Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster 2009).
Status of varius uncertain, possibly a valid species (Pook, Joger, Stümpel & Wüster 2009; Wallach, Williams & Boundy 2014).
Records from Niger (e.g., Papenfuss 1969; Schleich, Kästle & Kabisch 1996) are regarded as erroneous, since the species was not included for the country by Trape & Mané (2015).
Distribution:
Algeria,
Burkina Faso,
Central African Republic,
Chad,
Djibouti,
Egypt,
Eritrea,
Ethiopia,
Kenya,
Libya,
Morocco,
Somalia,
South Sudan,
Sudan,
Tunisia.
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Echis romani
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Chadian Carpet Viper, (Roman's Carpet Viper)
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Tchadische Sandrasselotter
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Tchadisk Tæppehugorm
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2018 | |
Echis romani Trape |
Remarks:
Previously regarded as a population of ocellatus (Trape 2018).
Distribution:
Cameroon,
Central African Republic,
Chad,
Niger,
Nigeria,
Sudan.
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