Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of vipers endemic to Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the subfamily Crotalinae. Currently, 13 genera are recognized. Most are tropical and subtropical, although one species, Vipera berus, even occurs within the Arctic Circle. Like all vipers, they are venomous.
Cerastes cerastes, commonly known as the Saharan horned viper or the desert horned viper, is a venomous species of viper native to the deserts of Northern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Levant. It is often easily recognized by the presence of a pair of supraocular "horns", although hornless individuals do occur. Three subspecies have been described.
Echis coloratus, known as the painted saw-scaled viper, painted carpet viper, Burton's carpet viper, and by other common names, is a highly venomous viper species endemic to the Middle East and Egypt. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Field's horned viper is a species of snake in the family Viperidae. The species is native to the deserts of the Middle East. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. It was previously considered a subspecies of the Persian horned viper. The main differences between this species and the Persian horned viper are in scalation and venom composition.
Cerastes is a genus of small, venomous vipers found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran. Three species are currently recognized by ITIS, and an additional recently described species is recognized by the Reptile Database. Common names for members the genus include horned vipers, North African desert vipers, and cerastes vipers.
Pseudocerastes is a genus of vipers endemic to the Middle East and Asia. It was originally created as a monotypic genus in 1896 by Boulenger for the species Pseudocerastes persicus, but three species are now recognised: the spider-tailed horned viper ; Persian horned viper and Field's horned viper. Like all other vipers, the members of this genus are venomous.
The horned adder is a viper species. It is found in the arid region of southwest Africa, in Angola, Botswana, Namibia; South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It is easily distinguished by the presence of a single, large horn-like scale over each eye. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
The many-horned adder is a viper species. It is found in certain rocky desert areas, mostly along the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, in western South Africa and southwestern Namibia. It has characteristic tufts of "horns" above each eye. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. No subspecies are currently recognized.
The Albany adder is a viper species. It was previously considered a subspecies of Bitis cornuta. Its range is restricted to eastern and southern Cape Province in South Africa. Like all vipers, it is venomous.
Bitis worthingtoni, also known commonly as the Kenya horned viper and the Kenyan horned viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Kenya. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Cerastes vipera, common names Sahara sand viper and Avicenna viper, is a viper species endemic to the deserts of North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
Echis pyramidum, known as the Northeast African carpet viper, Egyptian saw-scaled viper, 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.
Echis carinatus sochureki is a venomous viper subspecies found in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
Macrovipera lebetinus schweizeri, the Milos viper, also known as the Cyclades blunt-nosed viper, is a subspecies of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The subspecies is endemic to the Cyclades Archipelago of Greece in the Aegean Sea.
Macrovipera lebetinus transmediterranea is a viper subspecies endemic to North Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
The Lebanon viper, also known as Bornmueller's viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to Western Asia. There are no recognized subspecies.
Vipera lotievi, commonly known as the Caucasian meadow viper, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Montivipera raddei, also known as the Armenian viper and by many other common names, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, and possibly also Iraq. Two subspecies are currently recognized.
The Persian horned viper, known as the Persian horned viper, false horned viper, and by other common names, is a species of vipers endemic to the Middle East and Asia. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
Yehudah Leopold Werner is an Israeli herpetologist and Professor Emeritus at the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
