Talk:Cerastes cerastes

How can a range be an average?
"The average length is 30-60 cm" Um, I don't mean to be pedantic but how can a range be an average? Is there a more encyclopaedic way to word this? Brendan Hide (talk) 11:47, 23 June 2008 (UTC)


 * Perhaps this will explain things for you: Range (statistics). --Jwinius (talk) 11:54, 23 June 2008 (UTC)

It says that the presence of this species in Lebanon is unlikely, but we encounter this snake always. only 2 days ago one "horned" snake was killed near my place in North Lebanon and I have a photo proof if anybody is interested. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.101.176.167 (talk) 13:37, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
 * Sure, link to photos, but it may be a very similar species like Cerastes gasperettii or Pseudocerastes_persicus_fieldi, both of which are horned and native to Jordan. HCA (talk) 14:15, 21 July 2015 (UTC)

I have the photo on my computer, how can I show it here? I definitely think that it is a cerastes cerastes.
 * There should be an "upload file" link on the lefthand side of your screen. HCA (talk) 14:42, 22 July 2015 (UTC)

I'm trying to upload the photo but its saying that I must have a confirmed account. I just created my account today. how can I make it confirmed? sorry I'm bothering you a lot hehe.
 * Top of the page, in "preferences", there will be an option to send an email to the address you registered with, allowing you to confirm your account. HCA (talk) 14:37, 23 July 2015 (UTC)

I was able to upload on Wikimedia commons. here is the link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Horned_snake.jpg
 * OK, so I did some research, dug up the species description, and the bad news is that these species can't be distinguished on the basis on images alone. The distinction is based on counting the number of ventral scales, as well as subtleties from head scalation.  C. cerastes has 139-149 ventrals in males and 143-151 ventrals in females, while C. gasperettii males have 154-162 ventral and females have 153-172.  Basically, in order to distinguish them, you'd need to take them to a museum.  However, I wouldn't recommend this, as the leading cause of snakebite is people trying to capture the snake.  At the end of the day, they're not visually distinguishable to anyone but a professional.  Based on range, I suspect yours is C. gasperettii, but only a museum can tell for sure. HCA (talk) 17:31, 26 July 2015 (UTC)

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"not very toxic"
At this writing, the "Venom" section says C. cerastes venom is not very toxic, and it also says [a]n estimated lethal dose for humans is 40–50 mg.

That sounds pretty toxic to me. It's in the same ballpark as the lethal dose for cyanide, though perhaps not by the same mode of administration.

Missing is any indication of how much venom is delivered in a typical bite, so I can't judge the lethality of a bite from the information given. But even if a typical bite is not very likely fatal, it still doesn't seem correct to say that the venom is "not very toxic". And of course if it is likely fatal, then saying that just looks reckless. --Trovatore (talk) 02:11, 16 May 2019 (UTC)

The venom is likely not injected in sufficient amount to kill an average person without several bites, which from my experience is quite rare for desert snakes, also a possible reason for why the injection amount is not added, is because each specimen likely varies and can likely range. safe to say, multiple bites of this are likely fatal, as well as one bite fatal, but it is resistible by the human body at the main concentration. Kiri621x (talk) 18:57, 11 March 2021 (UTC)

Correction: average viper species injection amount is 60 ml+, It does not need multiple bites Kiri621x (talk) 19:01, 11 March 2021 (UTC)