White-Bellied Carpet Viper

DESCRIPTION:

The White-Bellied Carpet Viper is also known also known as a White-Bellied saw-scaled viper or Roman’s saw-scaled viper. Adult size averages 30 to 70 cm with a maximum length of around 87 cm. Carpet vipers are characterized by a short head and bulging eyes. The body is moderately robust with a short tail. Coloration and pattern are both variable. White-Bellied Carpet Viper color ranges from brown to gray to reddish and everything in between. Pattern generally consists of a series of light, oblique, dorsal crossbars or saddles set against a darker ground color. The flanks are lighter in color, normally with a series of triangular, sub-triangular, or circular, dark markings with light or white edges. The belly is an unbroken pale cream, white, or ivory.

HABITS & HABITAT:

The White-Bellied Carpet Viper is found along edges of deserts. It is associated with arid savannah, semi-desert, Sahel, and well-vegetated dry river beds (wadis) and oases. They are nocturnal as well as active at dawn and dusk. It may move by sidewinding. If annoyed it will loop its body and rub its scales together producing a hissing sound.

DISTRIBUTION:

Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, N Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Western Sahara, Senegal, Nigeria, Gambia, Western Chad.

VENOM:

Carpet Vipers are responsible for more fatalities than all other African snakes combined, its venom is a compound of procoagulants, anticoagulants, hemorraghins, nephrotoxins and necrotoxins,

SYMPTOMS:

Local pain, swelling, bleeding, necrosis and disfigurement which may result in amputation. Systemic symptoms include coagulopathy, hemorraghes, shock, renal failure and blindness. The envenoming rate is 80% and the lethality rate is 10-20%.

Stage 0 Coagulopathy without spontaneous bleeding
Stage 1 Persistent atraumatic bleeding from the bite wound >1 h
Stage 2 Bleeding from old cuts and wounds elsewhere on patient
Stage 3 Spontaneous bleeding from healthy mucosa (eg, gingival bleeding, epistaxis)
Stage 4 Externalization of internal bleeding (eg, hematemesis, melena)
Stage 5 Intracranial, intra-abdominal, or retroperitoneal bleeding; hemorrhagic shock

FIRST AID:

Do not apply any bandage and do not interfere with the bite; proceed immediately to a medical facility.

ANTIVENOM:

Echitab-plus-ICP – 1 to 3 Vials.