All species Highly venomous Pending expert review
Saw-scaled viper
Echis carinatus
- වැලි පොළඟා
- சுருட்டை விரியன்
This profile is pending review by a qualified herpetologist. Never rely on it to decide whether a snake is safe to approach.
Overview
Small but dangerous. When threatened it rubs its serrated scales together to make a rasping sound. Mainly found in the dry north and north-west.
How to recognise it
- 1Rough, keeled scales that rasp when rubbed together
- 2Pale zig-zag line along each flank
- 3Forms tight C-shaped coils when threatened
Where it lives
Sandy, rocky and scrubby coastal areas of the northern and north-western dry zone.