Palestine Saw-scaled Viper

The Echis coloratus, commonly known as the painted saw-scaled viper, is a venomous snake native to the Middle East and Egypt. It is also referred to as the painted carpet viper, Burton's carpet viper, Palestine saw-scaled viper, Arabian saw-scaled viper, or Mid-East saw-scaled viper.

This species inhabits rocky deserts at elevations ranging from sea level to around 2,500 meters. Conversely, it is not typically found in sandy deserts. Its distribution includes regions such as the Sinai Peninsula, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and eastern Egypt, extending up to the 24th parallel north of the Nile.

The designated "type locality" for the species is Jebel Shárr in Midian, Saudi Arabia, at an elevation of 1,371 meters. There was some debate regarding the appropriate nomenclature, but taxonomist Stimson recommended the name E. coloratus for consistency. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) concurred, granting the name coloratus official precedence.