Species

GENUS VIPERA

SPECIES, SUBSPECIES AND ECOTYPES

The genus Vipera (Laurenti 1768), commonly known as Eurasian vipers currently holds 24 species of Vipers on the European, Asian and African continents. Due to several doubtful descriptions of species, that more likely resemble subspecies, ecotypes or even hybrids, the true count of species is more likely around 10-14 (1). The members of this genus are small to mid-sized snakes that may be very variable in coloration and ecological adaptations. The European adder (Vipera berus, image on the right) for example exhibits the widest and northernmost distribution of all snakes (2), while some species like the Anatolian meadow viper (Vipera anatolica) have very restricted ranges (3,4). Some subspecies, like the common Asp viper (Vipera aspis aspis) even occur in very compeating climates, such as in meditarranean as well as in subalpine habitats. The variability of coloration, morphology and ecology of this genus has fascinated me for a while, and I have been fortunate enough to work with this genus scientifically for a few years now. In the following gallery I have summarized my finds of Viperas over the years.

SUBGENUS "RHINASPIS"

VIPERA AMMODYTES

Habitat of Vipera ammodytes ammodytes in coastal Croatia

Habitat of Vipera ammodytes meridionalis in southern Greece

Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana, Georgia

Habitat of Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana in central Georgia

VIPERA ASPIS

Habitat of Vipera aspis aspis in western Switzerland

Habitat of Vipera aspis aspis 'atra' in eastern France

Habitat of Vipera aspis francisciredi in northern Italy

Habitat of Vipera aspis zinnikeri in Andorra

VIPERA ASPIS x VIPERA LATASTEI

Hybrid of Vipera aspis x latastei, Spain

Habitat of the hybrid of Vipera aspis x latastei in northern Spain

VIPERA LATASTEI

Habitat of Vipera latastei latastei in northern Spain

Habitat of Vipera latastei gaditana in southern Spain

VIPERA MONTICOLA

Habitat of Vipera monticola in the high Atlas, Morocco

SUBGENUS "PELIAS"

VIPERA BERUS

Habitat of Vipera berus berus in southern Germany

Habitat of Vipera berus berus 'marasso' in southern Slovenia

Habitat of Vipera berus bosniensis in Slovenia

Habitat of Vipera berus nikolskii in eastern Romania

VIPERA SEOANEI

Habitat of Vipera seoanei in northern Spain

VIPERA KAZNAKOVI - COMPLEX

Habitat of Vipera kaznakovi in western Georgia

Habitat of Vipera kaznakovi 'tuniyevi' in central Georgia

Habitat of Vipera darevskii in southern Georgia

Habitat of Vipera dinniki in northern Georgia

SUBGENUS "ACRIDOPHAGA"

VIPERA RENARDI

Habitat of Vipera renardi eriwanensis in southern Georgia

Vipera renardi eriwanensis 'shemakhensis', Georgia

Habitat of Vipera renardi eriwanensis 'shemakhensis' in eastern Georgia

Habitat of Vipera renardi 'atlaica' in eastern Kazakhstan

Habitat of Vipera renardi tienshanica in southern Kazakhstan

VIPERA URSINII

Habitat of Vipera ursinii ursinii in southern France

Habitat of Vipera ursinii 'ssp.' in eastern Croatia

Habitat of Vipera ursinii macrops in central Montenegro

Habitat of Vipera ursinii moldavica in eastern Romania

(1) Freitas, Inês & Ursenbacher, Sylvain & Mebert, Konrad & Zinenko, Oleksandr & Schweiger, Silke & Wüster, Wolfgang & Brito, José & crnobrnja-isailovic, Jelka & Halpern, Bálint & FAHD, Soumia & Santos, Xavier & Pleguezuelos, Juan & Joger, Ulrich & Orlov, Nikolay & Mizsei, Edvárd & Lourdais, Olivier & Zuffi, Marco & Strugariu, Alexandru & Zamfirescu, Remus & Martínez-Freiría, Fernando. (2020). Evaluating taxonomic inflation: towards evidence-based species delimitation in Eurasian vipers (Serpentes: Viperinae). Amphibia-Reptilia. 41. 285-311

(2) Otte, Norbert & Thiesmeier, Burkard & Bohle, Daniel (2020). Die Kreuzotter, ein Leben in ziemlich festen Bahnen. Laurenti, Bielefeld.

(3) Göçmen, Bayram & Mulder, John & Karış, Mert & Oğuz, Mehmet. (2014). The poorly known Anatolian Meadow Viper, Vipera anatolica: new morphological and ecological data.. Herpetologica Romanica. 8. 1-10.

(4) Mebert, Konrad & Göçmen, Bayram & Karış, Mert. (2017). Range extension of the critically endangered Anatolian Meadow Viper Vipera anatolica senliki in Eastern Antalya Province. South Western Journal of Horticulture, Biology and Environment. 8. 65-77.