We are at the oasis and here is the lovely fellow who is visiting us:
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Sand viper
Cerastes vipera
Description: Usually uniformly very pallid, with three rows of darker brown spots
Characteristics: A very small desert dweller that can bury itself in the sand during the day's heat. It is nocturnal, coming out at night to feed on lizards and small desert rodents. It has a short temper and will strike several times. Its venom is hemotoxic.
Habitat: Restricted to desert areas.
Length: Average 45 centimeters, maximum 60 centimeters.
Distribution: Northern Sahara, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria, Chad, Somalia, and central Africa.
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P.S. Hemotoxic isn't in any of my dictionaries, but I assume it has something to do with me bleeding to death. Somebody better hurry!
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Addenum : I received a kind note from Imladris who'd read the discussion thread and came up with the following explanation off the internet regarding "hemotoxic"....
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Hemotoxic venom attacks the circulatory system and muscle tissue causing excessive scarring, gangrene, permanent disuse of motor skills, and sometimes leads to amputation of the affected area.
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