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Definition of somali carpet viper
somali carpet viper
Plural:Somali carpet vipers
somali carpet viper Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A highly venomous snake native to the arid regions of Somalia and the Horn of Africa in eastern Africa, belonging to the saw-scaled viper genus (Echis) and characterized by its distinctively patterned, rough scales and potent hemotoxic venom.
Example
"Herpetologists conducting fieldwork in the Horn of Africa take extreme precautions when handling the Somali carpet viper due to its aggressive defensive strikes."
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for its native geographic range in Somalia (and the broader Horn of Africa) and the complex, rug-like geometric patterns on its dorsal scales. 'Viper' descends from Latin 'vipera' (live-bearing snake).
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Somali carpet viper. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/somali carpet viper