Echis carinatus astolae

Echis carinatus astolae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Genus:	Echis
Species:	E. carinatus
Subspecies:	E. c. astolae
Trinomial name
Echis carinatus astolae Mertens, 1970
Synonyms[1]
Echis carinatus astolae Mertens, 1970 Echis sochureki astolae — Cherlin, 1983 Echis [(Turanechis)] sochureki astolae — Cherlin, 1990 Echis carinata astolae — Das, 1996

Echis carinatus astolae, known as the Astola saw-scaled viper,[2] is a viper subspecies[3] endemic to Astola Island off the coast of Pakistan.[1] Like all other vipers, it is venomous.

Description

The color pattern consists of a series of dark brown dorsal blotches on a whitish background. Laterally, there are 1-3 rows of dark brown spots with no light arcs. On the head, there is a three-pronged, light mark directed towards the snout. From the temporals, a light lateral line meets at the frontal region, with a branch to the snout.[2]

Geographic range

Echis carinatus astolae is found only on Astola Island, off the coast of Makran, Pakistan.

The type locality is therefore the same: "Insel Astola, Makranküste, West-Pakistan" [Astola Island (25^o 07' N; 63^o 51' E) off the Makran coast, Pakistan].[1]

References

1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
2. Saw-scaled Viper, ... at Wildlife of Pakistan, Accessed 3 August 2006.
3. "Echis carinatus astolae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 3 August 2006.

Further reading

• Mertens R. 1970. Die Amphibien und Reptilien West-Pakistans. 1. Nachtrag. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde aus dem Staatlichen Museum für Naturkunde in Stuttgart (216): 1-5. ("Echis carinatus astolae n. subsp.", pp. 3–4).

External links

• Echis carinatus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2 August 2007.
• Echis sochureki astolae Mertens, 1969 at Tomáš Mazuch. Accessed 24 November 2007.