Snakes in the UAE are strongly shaped by habitat and time of activity. In the desert, the typical species include Arabian Sand Boa \ Eryx jayakari, Arabian Horned Viper \Cerastes gasperettii, Sindh Saw-scaled Viper \ Echis carinatus sochureki, Crowned Leaf-nosed Snake \ Lytorhynchus diadema, Diadem Snake \ Spalerosophis diadema, and Schokari Sand Racer \ Psammophis schokari.

In the mountains and rocky wadis, species are different and may include Hajar Saw-scaled Viper \ Echis omanensis, Persian False-horned Viper \ Pseudocerastes persicus, Arabian Cat Snake \ Telescopus dhara, and Wadi Racer \(Platyceps rhodorachis / Platyceps hajarensis depending on taxonomy). Day-active snakes are usually fast visual hunters, such as the Schokari Sand Racer and Wadi Racer, while many desert and mountain snakes are mostly nocturnal or active around sunset, including sand boas, vipers, cat snakes, and leaf-nosed snakes.