Cerastes is a genus of small vipers found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran.

[7] Cerastes are small snakes, averaging less than 50 cm (20 in) in total length (body + tail), but are relatively stout in appearance.

The head is covered with tubercularly keeled scales, which usually number 15 or more across, and a supraorbital horn may be present over each eye in some species.

[6] Another, more recent theory is simply that the horns serve to break up the outline of the head, making them harder for prey animals to spot.

[3] Cerastes species are not known to be particularly ill-tempered ("fairly placid"), but when threatened they will often stand their ground and form C-shaped coils that are rubbed together to produce a rasping or crackling sound, similar to Echis.

[6][3] These snakes are capable of "sinking" quickly down into loose sand, using their keeled, angled and serrated lateral scales in a rocking motion.

This process begins at the tail and moves forward until the entire head is buried and only the eyes and nostrils are exposed.

[5][8] Although it would seem that Laurenti changed his mind in 1768 and decided to name this genus Aspis, instead of Cerastes as he did earlier, this was eventually rejected.