Vipera

Vipera
Asp viper, V. aspis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Viperinae
Genus:	Vipera Laurenti, 1768
Synonyms
Vipera Laurenti, 1768 Pelias Merrem, 1820 Chersea Fleming, 1822 Rhinaspis Bonaparte, 1834 Rhinechis Fitzinger, 1843 Echidnoides Mauduyt, 1844 Mesocoronis A.F. Reuss, 1927 Teleovipera A.F. Reuss, 1927 Acridophaga A.F. Reuss, 1927 Mesovipera A.F. Reuss, 1927 Mesohoronis A.F. Reuss, 1927 Mesohorinis A.F. Reuss, 1927 Latastea A.F. Reuss, 1929 Tzarevcsya A.F. Reuss, 1929 Latasteopara A.F. Reuss, 1935

Common names: Palaearctic vipers, Eurasian vipers.

Vipera is a genus of venomous vipers. It has a very wide range, being found from North Africa to just within the Arctic Circle and from Great Britain to Pacific Asia. The name is possibly derived from the Latin words vivus and pario, meaning "alive" and "bear" or "bring forth"; likely a reference to the fact that most vipers bear live young. Currently, 23 species are recognized.

Description

Members are usually small and more or less stoutly built. The head is distinct from the neck, of triangular shape, and covered with small scales in many species, although some have a few small plates on top. The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, the anal scale is divided and the subcaudals paired.

Geographic range

They can be found in Great Britain and nearly all of continental Europe, on some small islands of the Mediterranean (Elba, Montecristo, Sicily) and the Aegean Sea, as well as in northern Africa in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. It also occurs across the Arctic Circle and eastwards though northern Asia to Sakhalin Island and northern Korea.

Habitat

Most species prefer cooler environments. Those found at lower latitudes tend to prefer higher altitudes and dryer, rocky habitats, while the species that occur at more northern latitudes prefer lower elevations and environments that have more vegetation and moisture.

Behavior

All species are terrestrial.

Reproduction

All members are viviparous, giving birth to live young.

Venom

Most Vipera species have venom that contains both neurotoxic and hemotoxic components. Bites vary widely in severity. Smaller, northern species, such as V. berus, have only slightly less toxic venom, but inject very little. Others, such as V. ammodytes, are capable of injecting much more with devastating results. However, bites from Vipera species are rarely as severe as those from larger Macrovipera or Daboia.

Species

Species	Taxon author	Subsp.*	Common name	Geographic range
V. albicornuta	Nilson & Andrén, 1985	0	Iranian mountain viper	The Zanjan Valley and surrounding mountains in northwestern Iran.
V. albizona	Nilson, Andrén & Flärdh, 1990	0	Central Turkish mountain viper	Central Turkey.
V. ammodytes	(Linnaeus, 1758)	4	Horned viper	North-eastern Italy, southern Slovakia, western Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Republic of Macedonia, Greece (including Macedonia and Cyclades), Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia and Syria.
V. aspisT	(Linnaeus, 1758)	4	Asp viper	France, Andorra, northeastern Spain, extreme southwestern Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, the islands of Elba and Montecristo, Sicily, Italy, San Marino and northwestern Slovenia.
V. barani	Böhme & Joger, 1984	0	Baran's adder	Northwestern Turkey.
V. berus	(Linnaeus, 1758)	2	Common European adder	From western Europe (Great Britain, Scandinavia, France) across central (Italy, Albania, Bulgaria and northern Greece) and eastern Europe to north of the Arctic Circle, and Russia to the Pacific Ocean, Sakhalin Island, North Korea, northern Mongolia and northern China.
V. bornmuelleri	F. Werner, 1898	0	Bornmuellers viper	Golan Heights, southern Lebanon and Syria.
V. bulgardaghica	Nilson & Andrén, 1985	0	Bulgardagh viper	The Bulgar Dagh (Bolkar Dagi) mountains, Nigde Province, south central Anatolia, Turkey.
V. darevskii	Vedmederja, Orlov & Tuniyev, 1986	0	Darevsky's viper	The southeastern Dzavachet Mountains in Armenia and adjacent areas in Georgia.
V. dinniki	Nikolsky, 1913	0	Dinnik's viper	Russia (Great Caucasus) and Georgia (high mountain basin of the Inguri River), eastward to Azerbaijan.
V. kaznakovi	Nikolsky, 1909	0	Caucasus viper	Northeastern Turkey, Georgia and Russia (eastern Black Sea coast.
V. latastei	Boscá, 1878	1	Lataste's viper	Extreme southwestern Europe (France, Portugal and Spain) and northwestern Africa (the Mediterranean region of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).
V. latifii	Mertens, Darevsky & Klemmer, 1967	0	Latifi's viper	Iran: upper Lar Valley in the Elburz Mountains.
V. lotievi	Nilson et al., 1995	0	Caucasian meadow viper	The higher range of the Big Caucasus: Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.
V. monticola	Saint-Girons, 1954	0	Atlas mountain viper	High Atlas Mountains, Morocco.
V. nikolskii	Vedmederja, Grubant & Rudajewa, 1986	0	Nikolsky's viper	Central Ukraine.
V. palaestinae	F. Werner, 1938	0	Palestine viper	Syria, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon.
V. pontica	Billing, Nilson & Sattler, 1990	0	Pontic adder	Known only from the Coruh valley in Artvin Province, northeastern Turkey.
V. raddei	Boettger, 1890	0	Rock viper	Eastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and probably Iraq.
V. seoanei	Lataste, 1879	1	Baskian viper	Extreme southwestern France and the northern regions of Spain and Portugal.
V. ursinii	(Bonaparte, 1835)	0	Meadow viper	Southeastern France, eastern Austria (extinct), Hungary, central Italy, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, northern and northeastern Albania, Romania, northern Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, northwestern Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and across the Khazakstan, Kirgizia and eastern Uzbekistan steppes to China (Xinjiang).
V. wagneri	Nilson & Andrén, 1984	0	Ocellated mountain viper	The mountains of eastern Turkey and adjacent northwest Iran.
V. xanthina	(Gray, 1849)	0	Rock viper	Extreme northeastern Greece, the Greek islands of Symi, Kos, Kalimnos, Leros, Lipsos, Patmos, Samos, Chios and Lesbos, European Turkey, the western half of Anatolia (inland eastward to Kayseri), and islands (e.g. Chalki, Kastellórizon [Meis Adasi]) of the Turkish mainland shelf.

* Not including the nominate subspecies. ^T: type species

See also

• List of viperine species and subspecies
• Viperinae by common name
• Viperinae by taxonomic synonyms
• Snakebite

Further reading

• Arnold EN, Burton JA. 1978. A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. London: Collins. 272 pp. ISBN 0-00-219318-3. (Genus Vipera, pp. 211, 214.)

• Boulenger GA. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the...Viperidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers.) xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I.- XXV. (Genus Vipera, pp. 471-472.)

• Laurenti JN. 1768. Specimen medicum, exhibens synopsin reptilium emendatam cum experimentis circa venena et antidota reptilium austriacorum. Vienna: "Joan. Thom. Nob. de Trattern". 214 pp. + Plates I.- V. (Genus Vipera, p. 99.)

External links

• Vipera at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 August 2007.
• Vipera at Herpbreeder.com. Accessed 6 August 2007.