Snakes of Europe/Species/Eryx jaculus

Eryx jaculus, known commonly as the Javelin sand boa, is a species of snake in the Boidae family. First described by Linnaeus in 1758, it is the type species of the genus Eryx.



Geographic range
Eryx jaculus is found in eastern and south eastern Europe, the Caucasus, the Middle East, and Africa.

Description
The javelin sand boa may grow to 80 cm (31½ inches) in total length. Coloring varies greatly. Dorsally it may be grayish, tan, brownish, or reddish, with darker blotches or bars in an irregular network. It usually has a dark streak from the eye to the corner of the mouth. Ventrally it is whitish or yellowish. It is heavy-bodied and has a short blunt tail. The ventrals are very narrow, less than ⅓ of the width of the body. The rostral is large and broad with an angular horizontal edge. The eye is separated from the labials by one or two rows of small scales. There are 10-14 upper labials. The dorsal scales are in 40-50 rows, smooth anteriorly, but weakly keeled posteriorly. There are 165-200 ventrals, and 15-34 subcaudals.