11
August, 2002
Richmond, MN -- Local resident Ryan Culligan, age 10, has been asked to do research for a snake illustration that will appear in The Saint John's Bible, a handwritten, illuminated Bible that has been commissioned by Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
"My dad knows Donald Jackson, the calligrapher who is writing and illuminating The Saint John's Bible. The last time Mr. Jackson was in town, we had dinner with him at the Pelican Lake Ballroom. After dinner, we were talking about animals, and I mentioned that I like snakes. He said that he was planning to include an illustration of a snake in The Saint John's Bible, and asked me if I would help him find pictures of the right snake from Biblical times. A few weeks later (July 16, 2002), he sent me the following letter:
Dear Ryan,
When we last met at the Pelican Lake Ballroom we talked, among other things, about snakes! You said you'd be willing to help me with some research if you could. Well, it seems that the most likely snake, or snakes, which might be referred to in the passage from the Bible (Numbers, Chapter 21: v 8-9) which we are illustrating is/are the carpet viper or the saw-scaled viper. Obviously, these are native to what was Palestine. If you can track down a color illustration of these guys, it would be great help. If you come to a dead end, that's fine too. Just zip over an email with what you discover. Or, as I say, even if you can't find pictures it will be good to hear from you anyway. Meantime, love from me to you and your family.
Donald Jackson.
In response to this request, Ryan Culligan sent Donald Jackson the following letter on August 11, 2002:
Dear Donald,
Thanks for inviting me to help you with your research for your snake illustration in The Saint John’s Bible. This has been a fun assignment and I have found some really good information.
I found out that the saw-scaled viper and the
carpet viper are both members of the Echis species of vipers found in
the Middle East. 
The
saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is commonly found along the coast, in
the open desert and in the mountains. “It gets its name from the fact
that along the sides of its body it has several rows of diagonal scales
with minute projections.” The maximum length of the saw-scaled viper is
60 cms. You can find out more about the saw-scaled viper by visiting
the following website:
http://www.uaeinteract.com/nature/reptile/snk01.asp
The carpet viper (Echis coloratus) is quite rare
and is only found in the mountains.
“With a maximum length of
70 cms, it is slightly stockier and a little more colorful than the
widespread saw-scaled viper, from which it can only be distinguished by
counting the rows of facial shields under its eyes. Three rows or more
are specific for the carpet viper whilst the saw-scaled viper has only
one row.” You can find out more about the carpet viper by visiting the
following website:
http://www.uaeinteract.com/nature/reptile/snk02.asp
There is one other snake that you might want to consider for your illustration. It is called the Palestine viper (vipera palestinae). It is found in Israel, north through Lebanon and Syria, and east through Jordan. It is typically 36-40 inches, with a reddish brown, beige, olive or grayish-yellow with a broken pattern in dark gray, black or reddish, edged with dark black. On the head is a dark v-shaped marking. You can find out more about this snake by visiting the Utah’s Hogle Zoo website:
http://www.xmission.com/~hoglezoo/reptiles/palviper.htm
You can find additional photographs of the saw-scaled viper and the carpet viper at the following websites:
http://www.coastalreptiles.com/echis.htm
http://people.a2000.nl/pdzwart/echis_pictures.htm
Unfortunately, the very best website on the saw-scaled viper is currently inactive. The website is called kingsnake.com and the specific web address is:
http://kingsnake.com/saw_scale
I also checked out a bunch of books from the library, but none of them had any photographs of Echis vipers. But I’ll keep checking and if I find anything else I’ll send it your way.
Thanks again for asking me to help you with this project. I can’t wait to see the final illustration.
Sincerely,
Ryan