Atractaspis engaddensis, also known as the Israeli Mole Viper[3][4][5][6] or "الأسود الخبيث" (in Arabic, pronounced "al'aswad alkhabith") or "שרף עין גדי" and "צפעון שחור"[7] (in Hebrew, pronounced "Saraf Ein Gedi" and "Tzifon Shachor") is a venomous snake found in Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

[1] The specific epithet references the type locality, Ein Gedi on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

From the end of September until November, 2-3 eggs, about 75 millimeters long, are laid in a humid environment that is essential for the development of the embryos.

However, even at high concentrations, the venom does not block contractions of skeletal muscles that are directly or indirectly stimulated.

The changes observed in the ECG are similar to those recorded in human victims and are the result of an A-V block that is caused by an apparent direct action of the venom on the heart.

Also, despite its strong venom, and the lack of an antivenom for it, in most cases people survive this snake's bite with little or no long term damages.

[15][13] The latest death happened on 2002 when a man tried to capture a snake near his house on the border of the Judean Desert.