Their common name is "saw-scaled vipers" and they include some of the species responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths in the world.

However, the scales on the lower flanks stick out at a distinct 45° angle and have a central ridge, or keel, that is serrated (hence the common name).

[3] A saw-scaled viper of the genus Echis may be responsible for biblical claims of a fiery flying serpent.

[7] Species of this genus are found in Pakistan, India (in rocky regions of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab) and Sri Lanka, parts of the Middle East, and Africa north of the equator.

[1] All members of this genus have a distinctive threat display, which involves forming a series of parallel, C-shaped coils and rubbing their scales together to produce a sizzling sound, rather like water on a hot plate.

[2] Saw-scaled vipers are highly defensive compared to many of their cousins and they are very easy to provoke, so they might strike quickly.

[2][3] The snake venom of Echis species consists mostly of four types of toxins: neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, hemotoxins, and cytotoxins.

[3] Most of these species have venom that contains factors that can cause a consumption coagulopathy and defibrination, which may persist for days to weeks.

[15] A mitochondrial DNA phylogeny for the genus[16] demonstrated the distinctiveness of E. borkini, E. jogeri and E. khosatzkii, but showed E. multisquamatus to be a synonym of E. carinatus.