Sahara sand viper (Cerastes vipera)

Short answers

Sahara sand viper: How big does the enclosure need to be?

80×40×40 cm.

Sahara sand viper: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–32 °C, basking spot 35–40 °C, at night 20–25 °C.

Sahara sand viper: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Low-dose UVB recommended (a desert species), crepuscular/nocturnal.

Sahara sand viper: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 10–15 years.

Sahara sand viper: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–32 °C

Night temperature

20–25 °C

Basking spot

35–40 °C

Humidity

20–40 % (very dry)

UVB

Low-dose UVB recommended (a desert species), crepuscular/nocturnal

Enclosure

Minimum size

80×40×40 cm

Substrate

Fine pale desert sand, about 7–8 cm deep (for burying); a few stones and hides, a drinking vessel

Feeding

Food

Small rodents (mice), small lizards

Feeding interval

adults 1× every 7–10 days, juveniles 1× every 5–7 days

Key facts

Adult size

20–35 cm, max. approx. 50 cm (a small species)

Life expectancy

10–15 years

Origin

North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula – sand deserts

Protection status

Venomous (haemotoxic), potentially life-threatening - not CITES-listed; keeping it requires a permit or notification, or is banned outright, depending on the German state.

Brumation

A cooler rest period (overwintering) in the terrarium at about 12–15 °C is possible

Cohabitation

Keep them singly – solitary; put them together only briefly for supervised breeding. Even where group keeping works, the feeding accident remains the risk: always feed them singly, ideally in separate boxes, and only house animals of roughly the same size together.

Notes

A sidewinder; it buries itself in the sand to lie in wait and to regulate its temperature. Lighting 12–14 h. Small but venomous – despite the size, not one for beginners.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Saharan horned viper (Cerastes cerastes) – Expert
• Savanna vine snake (Thelotornis capensis) – Expert
• Egyptian cobra (Naja haje) – Expert
• Egyptian saw-scaled viper (Echis pyramidum) – Expert
• Barnett's lancehead (Bothrops barnetti) – Expert
• Usambara bush viper (Atheris ceratophora) – Expert
• Ottoman viper (Montivipera xanthina) – Expert
• Malayan krait (Bungarus candidus) – Expert

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Sahara sand viper (Cerastes vipera) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (80×40×40 cm), substrate (Fine pale desert sand, about 7–8 cm deep (for burying); a few stones and hides, a drinking vessel), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.