Hughes' Saw-scaled Viper
Echis hughesi Cherlin, 1990
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.

geographic distribution of Echis hughesi (Native: Somalia)
compiled by rbrausse with Quantum GIS Map data: Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Range data: Joger, U. 2010. Echis hughesi. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 January 2013. · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
Echis hughesi, also known commonly as Hughes' carpet viper, the Somali carpet viper, and Hughes' saw-scaled viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Somalia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.
Wikipedia contributors, Echis hughesi; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T10:51:22.535337+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Echis hughesi Cherlin, 1990
- Name authority
- Cherlin, 1990
- Common name
- Hughes' Saw-scaled Viper
- 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 hughesi Cherlin, 1990
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 |
| PhoorsaEchis carinatus (Schneider, 1801) | 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 |
| 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 |
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=hughesi 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.
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:38LQQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.