Egyptian Sand Boa (Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail)

Egyptian Sand Boa

Eryx colubrinus

Summary ⁵

Gongylophis colubrinus, the Kenyan sand boa, is a boa species found in northern Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Description ⁶

A rather short, thick snake; largest Egyptian specimen has a total length of 770 mm. Tail relatively short; average tail / total length = 0.09; tail terminating with a conical scale. Head covered with small scales, 11-13 scales across the interorbital region, 12-15 scales around the eyes, 12-14 supralabials. Dorsals smooth on the anterior portion of the body, becoming increasingly keeled toward the tail; 47-53 scales around mid-body; 171-197 ventrals; anal and subcaudals 19-28, entire. Dorsum sandy, with large, irregularly shaped, dark-brown blotches; venter plain, yellowish.

Distribution in egypt ⁷

Margins of the Nile Valley north to 30°N, including the Fayoum depression, and the Red Sea coastal plain in the Gebel Elba region. Possible also in some of the large wadis of the southern Eastern Desert, such as Wadi El Allaqi. Tracks probably of this species were observed in sandy areas adjacent to Lake Nasser. The record from Marsa Matruh (Marx 1968) is based on two correctly identified specimens, but the collection locality is doubtful: the species has not been collected before or since from the region. The reference of Saleh (1997) to the occurrence of the species in the "Mediterranean Coastal Desert" is probably based on Marx's (1968) report.