About AVRI

The Saw-scaled Viper, Echis carinatus, is an Old World viper with a range covering Africa and the arid regions of Asia. In Sri Lanka, it resides in the arid northwest and eastern coastal plains. The species is nocturnal and feeds on prey such as centipedes, geckos, frogs, small rodents, and grasshoppers. A small snake, adults reach an average length of 45cm.

Saw-scaled Vipers are named for their defensive warning of rubbing their body scales together, creating an audible sawing or buzzing sound. They are known to be highly irritable and bite at the slightest provocation.

The venom from this species is hemotoxic, potentially causing spontaneous bleeding. Untreated bites may result in necrosis. Interestingly, Saw-scaled Vipers in Sri Lanka are not considered to be as toxic as those in India and Africa, where they cause high morbidity and mortality.