Echis carinatus sochureki explained

Common names: Sochurek's saw-scaled viper, eastern saw-scaled viper,[1] Stemmler's saw-scaled viper.[2]

Echis carinatus sochureki is a venomous viper subspecies found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

Etymology

The subspecific name, sochureki, is in honor of Austrian herpetologist Erich Sochurek (1923–1987).[2]

Description

The head of E. c. sochureki is covered with small scales, except for 3-4 enlarged supraoculars. Midbody there are 29-33 rows of keeled dorsal scales. The keels of the middorsal rows are flat.[1]

The dorsal color pattern consists of a tan, grayish, or brown ground color with a central series of 30 whitish (never yellowish) blotches with dark brown edges. The flanks are marked with a row of wide arcs with distinct dark spots. The belly is whitish, with dark gray flecks. The head has a light arrow mark directed towards the snout. A light loreal stripe extends towards the angle of mouth.[1]

Geographic range

Echis carinatus sochureki is found in Northern India, Pakistan, southern Afghanistan, south and central Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.[3]

The Wildlife of Pakistan website gives the range as northern India, Pakistan (except the high mountains in north), southern Afghanistan, central Iran to the coast of the Iranian Gulf and Khuzestan.[1]

The type locality is "West Pakistan, Ban Kushdil Khan bei Pishin" (Pishin, West Pakistan).

Reproduction

Echis carinatus sochureki is Viviparous

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/ReptilesofPakistan/sawscaledviper.htm Saw-scaled Viper, ...
  2. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Echis sochureki, pp. 248, 253).
  3. Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. .