Gloydius halys is found in Russia, east of the Ural Mountains through Siberia, Iran, Mongolia to northern and central China, as well as the southern Ryukyu Islands of Japan. According to Gloyd and Conant (1990), the type locality given is Salt Lake near the Lugaskoi Sawod (factory) on the Upper Yenisey (Siberia, Russia). Redefined by Bour (1993) as Naryn or Ryn Peski desert, near the Russia-Kazakhstan border.