What is the proper name for the asp snake?

Asp is the modern/anglicized form of aspis. In antiquity the name refers to a venomous snake of Egypt from the Nile delta region and generally assumed to refer to the Egyptian cobra, but a wide array of other snakes were called asps. Today the European asp, Vipera aspis, is the only snake correctly referred to as an asp.[citation needed]





The asp was a symbol of royalty in dynastic and Roman Egypt. Extremely poisonous, the asp was often used as a means of execution for criminals who had attained a favoured status and were thought deserving of a death more dignified than typical executions. The Greeks also used them for executions.





According to Plutarch (quoted by Ussher), Cleopatra tested various deadly poisons on condemned persons and animals for daily entertainment. She concluded that the bite of the asp was the best way to die. It brought a sleepiness and heaviness without spasms of pain. Later she may have used this method to kill herself.Yet some people think that Cleopatra was bitten by a horned viper.





In Shakespeare's play, Cleopatra kills herself by the bite of an asp which she applies to her arm after the defeat of her lover, Mark Antony.

What is the proper name for the asp snake?
reptilio aspiso ... lol im just kidding i have no idea
Reply:Really it's a cobra. It's from the venemous cobra family.They also call it the Egyptian Cobra. http://ca.encarta.msn.com/ASP.html
Reply:Asp


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asp_(reptil...
Reply:Vipera aspis





http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_aspi...
Reply:it is a cobra
Reply:Asp is the modern/anglicized form of aspis. In antiquity the name refers to a venomous snake of Egypt from the Nile delta region and generally assumed to refer to the Egyptian cobra, but a wide array of other snakes were called asps. Today the European asp, Vipera aspis, is the only snake correctly referred to as an asp.
Reply:Naja haje annulifera It is also known as the egyptian cobra.