asp

asp, popular name for several species of viper, one of which, the European asp (Vipera aspis), is native to S Europe. It is also a name for the Egyptian cobra (Naja haja). It is believed that the asp Cleopatra used to commit suicide was either that cobra or the horned viper (Cerastes cornutus) of N Africa.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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