Persian Horned Viper

Geographical Origin and Habitat: This viper inhabits the desert, semi-arid, and rocky hill regions of the Middle East, preferring gravel plains, stony gorges, and sandy dunes with sparse vegetation.

Taxonomy and Genetics: The genus Pseudocerastes comprises the Asian horned desert vipers, morphologically distinguished from the African genus Cerastes by eye horns made of small scales rather than a single spine.

Behavior and Habits: Terrestrial and primarily nocturnal during hot months, but active during the day in spring. Often moves via sidewinding on loose sandy surfaces.

Morphology: Features a small erect horn above each eye, a heavy sandy-colored or gray body with dark transverse bars. Males display slightly longer tails.

Terrarium Setup: Use a spacious horizontal enclosure with a dry sand or sand-soil mix substrate, decorated with secure rocks to simulate natural crevices.

Lighting and Heating: Keep daytime temperatures warm around 25-31°C with a basking spot of 33°C. A medium-intensity UVB source is required to mimic desert sunlight.

Humidity and Hydration: Keep humidity low (30-50%). Lightly mist the enclosure once a week to allow drinking, but do not allow substrate to remain damp.

Feeding and Supplementation: Feed thawed mice every 10-14 days. Dust prey items with calcium and multivitamin supplements twice a month.

Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Do not house together to prevent stress and territorial aggression.

Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to respiratory infections in high humidity or poorly ventilated enclosures. May suffer from shedding issues (dysecdysis) if kept completely dry without temporary misting.