[4] The Arabian sand boa is a small snake growing to a total length (including tail) of about 38 cm (15 in).

This snake's colour is yellowish-grey or sandy-brown speckled with white flecks and transversely banded with dark marks.

[1] Eryx jayakari is a desert species of snake, living semi-underground in sand or soft soil.

Here it remains slightly below the surface with just its eyes projecting, ready to pounce with a sideways flick of its head, on any small creature that happens to pass.

[6] Unlike other members of the Boidae family, the Arabian sand boa lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young.