NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Phoorsa
Echis carinatus (Schneider, 1801)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Echis carinatus, known as the Sindh saw-scaled viper, saw-scaled viper, Indian saw-scaled viper, little Indian viper, and by other common names, is a viper species found in parts of the Middle East and Central Asia, and especially the Indian subcontinent. It is the smallest member of the "big four" Indian snakes that are responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths, due to various factors including their frequent occurrence in highly populated regions, and their inconspicuous nature. Like all vipers, the species is venomous. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Wikipedia contributors, Echis carinatus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T01:22:57.029423+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Echis carinatus (Schneider, 1801)
- Name authority
- (Schneider, 1801)
- Common name
- Phoorsa
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Viperidae
- Genus
- Echis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderSerpentes Linnaeus, 1758
- infraorderAlethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923
- familyViperidae
- subfamilyViperinae
- genusEchis
- speciesEchis carinatus (Schneider, 1801)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Echis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Echis borkini Cherlin, 1990 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Burton’s carpet viperEchis coloratus Günther, 1878 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Echis khosatzkii Cherlin, 1990 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| African Saw-scaled ViperEchis ocellatus Stemmler, 1970 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Roman's Saw-scaled ViperEchis leucogaster Roman, 1972 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Echis romani Trape, 2018 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Hughes' Saw-scaled ViperEchis hughesi Cherlin, 1990 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Joger's Saw-scaled ViperEchis jogeri Cherlin, 1990 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Cherlin's Saw-scaled ViperEchis megalocephalus Cherlin, 1990 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Oman saw-scaled viperEchis omanensis Babocsay, 2004 | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Egyptian Saw-scaled ViperEchis pyramidum (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1827) | ViperidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Echis multisquamatus Cherlin, 1981 Cherlin, 1981 | synonym |
| Pseudoboa carinata Schneider, 1801 Schneider, 1801 | synonym |
| Echis carinatus astolae Mertens, 1970 Mertens, 1970 | synonym |
| Echis carinatus sinhaleyus Deraniyagala, 1951 Deraniyagala, 1951 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Echis&species=carinatus Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:38LQF. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.