L.O. To be able to write a chronological report

Must

To be able to use hyphens.

To be able to use technical language (scientific vocabulary).

To be able to use parenthesis (commas, dashes and brackets)

To be able to use headings and sub headings.

Try

To be able to use a range of conjunctions at the beginning and end of sentences.

To be able to use fronted adverbials.

Aspire

To be able to use passive voice.

A Sand Viper is a medium-sized snake - with a short, stocky body - that can camouflage into the scorching sand. This snake is the largest Egyptian specimen with the total length of 490 mm. The snake is called the sand viper (sometimes known as the horned sand viper).

Sand Viper

Diet

The Sand Viper, which eats Dune mouse, also eats small insects and lizards. Also, the Sand Viper mostly eats a variety of mice. In addition to mice, they eat birds and small mammals (including other snakes). This predator has nocturnal eyesight so it has an advantage when getting its' dinner. This snake especially eats rodents such as : rats,mice and voles. The prey gets bitten by the snake which releases venom into the prey rapidly. The desert offers a variety of small mammals for the viper.

Habitat

Vipers' habitats vary cross their nearly worldwide range. They could live in mountains, rainforests but this snake lives in the Sahara desert. Despite the sand being scorching hot, their scaly-dry and hard skin doesn't feel the extreme heat. In the Sahara desert, the extreme heat is lethal. During the day the lowest temperature is 38c - 100c and during the night its lowest is -4c - 25c.

Adaptations

This snake has a anvil-shaped head so that the sand grains slide down their head.Another feature of adaptation is that they slither sideways so that they get less contact with the scorching,dry and grainy sand. Furthermore, they have keeled skin to help them move swiftly in the shifting sand grains. Over many years, they have evolved heat sensitive eye-sight therefore they can see their prey easily in the dark desert nights.

1) In this specie of snake the female is actually larger than the tough male.

2) The Horned Sand Viper can live up to 14 - 18 years.

3) The female can lay 8 - 20 soft-shelled eggs in abandoned burrows in the ground or under the rocks.

3 Fun Facts