Cerastes

Taxonavigation

Taxonavigation: Viperoidea
Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Podiata Cladus: Amorphea Cladus: Obazoa Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Cladus: Filozoa Cladus: Choanozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: ParaHoxozoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Cladus: Olfactores Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Cladus: Eugnathostomata Cladus: Osteichthyes Cladus: Sarcopterygii Cladus: Rhipidistia Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes Cladus: Elpistostegalia Cladus: Stegocephali Cladus: Tetrapoda Cladus: Reptiliomorpha Cladus: Amniota Cladus: Sauropsida Classis: Reptilia Cladus: Eureptilia Cladus: Romeriida Cladus: Diapsida Cladus: Neoreptilia Cladus: Parapleurota Cladus: Neodiapsida Cladus: Sauria Cladus: Lepidosauromorpha Superordo: Lepidosauria Ordo: Squamata Cladus: Toxicofera Subordo: Serpentes Cladus: Caenophidia Superfamilia: Viperoidea

Familia: Viperidae
Subfamilia: Viperinae
Genus: Cerastes
Species (3): C. cerastes – C. gasperettii – C. vipera

Cerastes Laurenti, 1768: 81 [conserved name]

Type species: Coluber cerastes Linnaeus, 1758, by subsequent designation by Opinion 661 (1963: 191).
Gender: feminine.
Placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology by Opinion 661 (1963: 191).

Laurenti, J.N. 1768. Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum, quod authoritate et consensu (In Latin). Joan Thomae: Vienna. 217 pp. BHL Reference page.
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1963. Opinion 661. Cerastes Laurenti, 1768 (Reptilia): designation of a type-species under the Plenary Powers. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 20(3): 191–192. BHL Reference page.

Werner, Y.L., Verdier, A. le, Rosenman, D. & Sivan, N. 1991. Systematics and zoogeography of Cerastes (Ophidia: Viperidae) in the Levant: 1, distinguishing Arabian from African “Cerastes cerastes”. The Snake 23(2): 90–100. Reference page.
Werner, Y.L. & Sivan, N. 1992. Systematics and zoogeography of Cerastes (Ophidia: Viperidae) in the Levant. 2. Taxonomy, ecology and zoogeography. The Snake 24(1): 34–49. Reference page.
Werner, Y.L., Sivan, N., Kushnir, V. & Motro, U. 1999. A statistical approach to variation in Cerastes (Ophidia: Viperidae), with the description of two endemic subspecies. Kaupia: Darmstädter Beiträge Zur Naturgeschichte 8: 83–97. Reference page.
Wagner, P. & Wilms, T.M. 2010. A crowned devil: new species of Cerastes Laurenti, 1768 (Ophidia, Viperidae) from Tunisia, with two nomenclatural comments. Bonn Zoological Bulletin 57(2): 297–306. BHL Reference page.
Wallach, V., Williams, K.L. & Boundy, J. 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group: Boca Raton, Florida. 1237 pp. ISBN 9781138034006 Reference page.

Uetz, P., Freed, P., Aguilar, R., F. Reyes, J. Kudera & Hošek, J. (eds.) 2026. Cerastes . The Reptile Database. Accessed on 26 May 2025.