Nocturnal, but tending toward crepuscular or even diurnal activity during colder parts of the year. Has been recorded up to an altitude of 1,500 m in the St. Katherine area.
Least Concern
A medium to large, fairly slender snake. Largest Egyptian specimen has a total length of 1,545 mm. Tail rather short, tail / total length = 0.16-0.22; nostril in a divided nasal; 2 loreals; pre-frontal broken up into 2-3 parts; 11-14 supralabials, separated from the eye by a row of small scales; 218-242 ventrals, 70-78 paired subcaudals; dorsals small, more or less smooth, 27-31 scale rows around mid-body, anal entire. Dorsum reddish buff (with a pattern of large, rounded, brown blotches with light edges, alternating with dark spots on the flanks and extending onto the tail. Dorsal surface of head with fine light and dark marbling and a dark interorbital bar. Two short longitudinal stripes on sides of neck. Venter whitish, plain.
Widely distributed in the Western Desert, along the margins of the Nile Valley and Delta, the Eastern Desert and Sinai. Widespread on the western Mediterranean coastal plain, also recorded in the all the major oases of the Western Desert, and on the periphery of the Qattara Depression. Its distribution in the Eastern Desert is not well known; it is widespread in the northern part south to about 29°N, recorded also from Ras Gharib and from Gebel Elba, but it is doubtless more widespread than is currently known. Recorded from throughout Sinai, including one specimen from the dune fields of the north at Zaranik (Baha El Din and Attum 2000). Particularly common in the El Arish-Rafah coastal strip, where it is a common urban dweller.
Northern Africa, from Mauritania to Sudan, Arabia north to southern Turkey and western Iran.
Inhabits a wide variety of habitats in deserts, subdeserts, and marginal agricultural lands. Found in lightly vegetated mountainous and hilly regions, open stone-strewn, steppe-like plains, coastal dunes, oases, desert fringes of cultivations, ruins, and even urban areas. Not a species of extreme desert.
Common and widespread. This attractive snake is popular in the pet trade, with large numbers being collected.
