Schokari Sand Racer

Description:

One of the fastest snakes in the Middle East, the Schokari sand racer has a thin body with variable colouration and patterning and an elongated head, featuring large golden-brown eyes with rounded pupils. Three main colour forms are recognised: a striped form, which has four dark, longitudinal stripes running over the upperparts; a non-striped form, which is either unmarked or lightly dotted; and a rear-striped from, with dark, longitudinal stripes only on the posterior part of the body, which merge towards the anterior. The background colouration is generally olive, tan or beige and there are also often dark stripes running from the snout, past the eyes, to the rear of the head. This variation in colouration and markings is believed to be an adaptation to the particular environment that individual specimens occupy. The jaws of this species bear two non-venomous, fang-like teeth in the upper jaw, at level of front-edge of the eye, and two strongly enlarged, grooved, venomous fangs, at the level of the rear edge of the eye. (ARKive)

Habitat:

sandy and rocky desert, prefers area with good vegetation, widespread over much of Sinai