Cerastes cerastes, one of the MidEastern Sand shufflers.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

"Now you see them, now you don't" describes many of the world’s sand-dwelling, sidewinding, chubby but small viperine snakes. You may be looking right at them, know that they have moved neither forward nor backward, but they, with a barely visible sideway to and fro shuffling, have disappeared from sight. And it took these sand-adapted snakes only a minute or 2 to sink almost straight down in the yielding desert sands

There are many species of these specialized snakes in the Mideast and Africa and a few in Asia and the western USA. Although all are perfectly able to crawl straight forward and often do so when not in a hurry sidewinding, throwing a loop of the body forward, usually while facing obliquely away, is a more effective and efficient method of moving across loose sands.

Among these snake are species such as the small Saharan sand viper, Cerastes vipera, adult at from 8 to 18 inches with females being the larger (this is true of many snake species). Once burrowed, this species usually leaves its eyes exposed but even the eyes can be difficult to pinpoint. Vipera is considered an ambush predator and its primary prey is lizards. If during their occasional surface activity, the snake happens upon nestling mice or gerbils, these may also be eaten. This little snake has a broad range through North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

The Mideastern deserts are home to several other sidewinding snake species. Among these are whiskered vipers, 3 species of horned vipers, and several subspecies and species of sawscaled vipers. Many of the rough-scaled species will often warn you of their presence by assuming a series of tight “S”s and noisily rasping their strongly keeled scales together.

Africa hosts Peringuey’s Vipers and various Horned Vipers, all able to move in either straight and typical fashion or by sidewinding.

In the USA we have the 3 subspecies of pit vipers, the small rattlesnakes, that are aptly named “Sidewinders” of our southwestern deserts.

A captive puff adder.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

The Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) is probably the most common and widespread of all African snakes.Except for rainforest and montane regions, this dangerously venomous and irritable snake may be found over most of the southern 2/3rds of the African continent. It can also be encountered in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Capable of both linear (slow and in a straight line like a caterpillar) and serpentine (side-to-side) movement, when possible the Puff Adder relies mostly on its camouflaging colors for protection and exemplifies the term sedentary. When frightened, either purposely or accidentally, these snakes coil and expel the breath in loud, easily heard puffing-hisses (hence the common name) and often strike savagely.

Adult at 30 to 40 inches in length, rare examples of this very heavy bodied adder may attain a length of 4 feet. They are primarily terrestrial, often common in grassland habitat, but are able to climb and may bask a few inches above ground in shrubs. They swim readily.

In keeping with its sedentary behavior, the Puff Adder is an ambush predator, waiting quietly for its prey of mammals, birds, amphibians, and lizards to approach within striking distance.

Reproductively active Puff Adder male often follow the pheromone trails of females and engage in combat matches. Live bearing, a clutch usually numbers between 20 and 50. The neonates are 5 ½ to 7”. The largest clutch recorded numbered 156 newborns.

Big, loud, and toxic. What more could you want?
Its proper names are Smoky Jungle Frog, Leptodactylus pentadactylus, and the normal calls of the males as they sit half in or next to their burrows are loud, penetrating, whistling, hoots, that have a rising inflection. But just grab one—go ahead and grab it---grab it hard because they are SLIPPERY, and be prepared for a distressing, loud, penetrating, scream—a scream that has often been likened to a woman in distress! Once heard, you’ll remember it. This frog also may “stand high,” extending all four legs downward and inflating its body if it feels threatened. And wash your hands after handling the frog. The glandular secretions are virulent.

This bullfrog-sized (to a robust 7 inches) rainforest anuran, is one of the largest, if not THE largest, and most common of the tropical frogs. Its call was the one we most often listened for as we settled in at our Amazonian camp. If heard the rainforest was wet and humid. The wet season had officially begun. If not heard we were probably a few days early and although still a wonderland, the forest was probably still comparatively dry.

I’m not sure what the “smoky” part of the name is meant to connote. The dorsum, uppersides, and limbs are a rich tannish-brown and the lower sides are a rich red. There may be dark bars across the back and hind legs and dark spots on the forelimbs. Dorsolateral folds are present. The feet are not webbed. A black stripe runs from the snout, passes over the tympanum (eardrum) and may terminate on the shoulder or continue to the groin. There are dark triangles on the upper lips.

This is a nest building species. A foam nest of body secretions is built in a constructed depression that is usually in the proximity of standing water. Within a few days after hatching rains flood the deposition site and carry the tadpoles to more permanent water.

The rainforest is a wondrous place!

Note the facial plates on this interesting turtle.
This big side-necked turtle, Peltocephalus dumerilianus, ranges in the Amazon and Orinoco drainages from Ecuador, Peru, and western Venezuela to Brazil. Once thought to have been extirpated from Peruvian waters, it has again been found in that country. The actual abundance there (as elsewhere) is not known.

It is monotypic within its genus, but is most closely related to the much better known Amazon River Turtles of the genus Podocnemis.

This appears to be a seldom seen Podocnemid turtle. Until you see it withdraw and fold its head sideways, its overall appearance is that of a “ginormous” mud turtle. The folding of the neck and its nonhinged plastron, however, are positive giveaways. It can reach a length of slightly more than 2 feet straight measure.

Carapacial color is gray to black. The plastron may be brownish or yellow. Limbs, tail legs, and neck are also dark. The dark head may have yellowish cheeks. The crown, cheeks, and jaws appear plated.

Very little is known about this understudied aquatic turtle, this despite it being an important food source for Amazonian families.

Up to 25 eggs have been reported for a clutch, but it is not known whether this species multi-clutches.

Note the yellow interstitial skin of this forest racer.
The genus Dendrophidion contains about 15 species of big-eyed, diurnal, alert snakes, all of racerlike slenderness and speed. The overall distribution of the genus is from southern Mexico to Bolivia. The Tawny (aka Olive) Forest Racer, Dendrophidion dendrophis, was a common and welcome species at our camps in Amazonian Peru.

Although of subdued color this is a pretty snake. The ground color is lightest anteriorly and darkens progressively towards the tail. A series of 50+ narrow, dark-edged, light bands or dark bands with light lateral spots, begins on the nape, and continues to tailtip. These are best defined on young snake and may be obscure on old adults. The Interstitial skin (the skin between the scales) and the belly are yellow, paling anteriorly. Each eye is shaded by an enlarged, flat, outward projecting, supraocular scale. The eyes of juveniles appear proportionately larger than those of the big-eyed adults.

Adult size of this oviparous snake is 3 to 4 feet. This is a frog-eating species.

These racers are most often seen on or near the ground, but they can climb well and often sleep in shrubs or trees 5 to 8 feet above the ground.

The fact that this snake (as a matter of fact, all snakes in this genus) readily autotomizes the tail if grasped by this terminal appendage explains why many forest racers seen have a truncated appearance. The tail is readily lost but does not regenerate.

This is a typically colored hatchling Banded Calico Snake
Varying by researching authority, the genus Oxyrhopus contains 12 or more, largely nocturnal, neotropical (central and northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago) snake species that vary widely in color. Some are primarily red others are primarily black, some bear bands of contrasting colors, others, except for the head that often contrasts with the body color, are largely unicolored.

In my opinion, one of the prettiest is the Banded Calico Snake. Other frequently heard common names include False Coral Snake and Forest Flame Snake.

Long known as Oxyrhopus petola, Jay Savage has recently suggested that its proper name is O. petolarius, and that this contains 3 subspecies, including the one with which I am most familiar, O. petolarius petola.

Over the years we have gotten very used to visits from this Calico Snake at the preserves where we stay. We not only happen across adults on the trails and juveniles in trailside shrubbery, but the adults range widely and often stray into our campsites.

Hatchlings and juveniles of this yard long, oviparous, snake are banded white and black, most young adults are banded with bright red (sometimes white) and black, and the red bands old examples often darken until the entire snake looks sooty.

Although these snakes were initially considered rear-fanged colubrines, they have now been reclassified as a Dipsadine genus. The venom seems especially virulent against lizards and amphibians on which calico snakes primarily prey. Small rodents and birds are also prey items.

I have found this snake reluctant to bite.