What is the male viper called? Common viper
The common viper is a type of poisonous snake that can often be found not only in the forest-steppe zone, but even in summer cottage, in a pond or on the porch of your own house. These reptiles belong to the viper family and are considered a type of snake from the genus true viper.
The common viper is not afraid of low temperatures, so this species of snake can often be found in the highlands and far northern regions. Its habitats extend on the map from Western Europe to the Far East. The character of the common viper is very aggressive; it often attacks humans in defense of its territory or offspring.
Fact! The common viper is often confused with the common snake, which poses no danger to humans.
Appearance of a snake
This reptile has a medium body size. As a rule, the size of the common viper depends on its breeding sites. The largest representatives of this species live in the region of Northern Europe. In Scandinavian lands, these snakes can grow up to 1 meter. In northwestern Europe in England and northern France, these reptiles have a shorter body up to 80-85 cm. In other habitats, common vipers can have a body up to 55-60 cm in length. Typically, the female viper is slightly larger than the male of this species. The weight of this reptile can range from 50 to 100 grams. Most large individuals can reach up to 180 g.
The snake's head is large, flat in shape, its surface covered with small scales. There are plates on the head that serve to protect the eyes, crown and front of the snake's muzzle. The reptile's head is separated from the rest of the body by a barely noticeable neck. The viper has not very large eyes with supraocular scales; the vertical pupil is clearly visible. The appearance gives the viper a terrifying appearance. Females have significantly smaller eyes, while males have larger ones. A nasal plate or nasal opening can be seen on the muzzle. The upper jaw of the snake is very mobile, equipped with two large poisonous fangs and several small teeth. The body of the viper turns into a small tail with a blunt end that resembles the outline of a comma.
Mother nature generously endowed this species of snake with various colors and shades. In addition to the most typical gray body color in males and brown in females, other color shades of vipers are also found in the wild. The color of the body of reptiles can be dark brown, black, copper-red, silver, beige-yellow or olive-brown. The surface of the body of these snakes often has natural patterns in the form of stripes, spots and zigzag patterns. Less commonly, these reptiles have a solid color. However, against the background of a dark shade of the body, it is often impossible to see the zigzag pattern. Dark markings in the form of a natural ornament are visible on the upper part of the reptile’s head. On the sides of the head there are dark stripes that extend from the eyes to the corners of the snake's mouth.
Where does the common viper live?
These reptiles have spread quite widely throughout Eurasia. Representatives of this species can be found in North Korea, northeast China, Sakhalin Island, Spain or northern Portugal. On the territory of Russia, the snake is distributed throughout the middle zone: from the Arctic to the steppe strip in the south of the country.Typically, these reptiles choose for breeding the outskirts of swampy places, hide in forest clearings, burnt areas overgrown with grass, live in clearings among mixed and coniferous forests, moss-covered places, on the banks of rivers and reservoirs. This species of snake has spread up to 3000 meters above sea level. As a rule, these vipers lead sedentary lifestyle life and do not like to move further than a hundred meters from their homes. Only during the search for wintering grounds, with the beginning of migrations in spring or autumn period, these snakes can swim across rivers and crawl distances of up to five kilometers. Often the viper can be found in a forested area, in the basement of a country house or farmhouse, in abandoned buildings, in a vegetable garden, in rural areas.
Lifestyle and behavior
By its nature, this reptile is sedentary, moves slowly, and has a calm character. You can call her a homebody. In summer, the snake loves to lie in the sun and spends the whole day in a secluded place away from prying eyes. Reptiles often look for warm place on heated stones, under stumps or fallen trees, in a rocky crevice among the rocks.
If you carefully observe this snake, you can note some character traits in reptile behavior. If the snake lies and relaxes basking in the sun, then it spreads its ribs to the side, while the body takes on a flat shape with a wavy surface. However, if the reptile is on guard, then it becomes tense, the body is extended, and in appearance it resembles a tightly compressed lump in the form of a spiral. If an enemy is encountered on the reptile's path, the snake, with a quick movement like a spring, raises its upper body. To frighten the enemy, she inflates her body and hisses intimidatingly. This dense ball smoothly creeps towards the source of danger for self-defense.
To survive the winter, vipers find shelter in rodent burrows or crevices. They crawl underground to a depth of two meters. In such a shelter, during the wintering period the temperature can fluctuate from 3 to 4 degrees Celsius. Very often, several representatives of this family spend the winter in such burrows at once to keep each other warm. If early spring arrives and the snow melts, snakes may crawl to the surface to bask in the sun. If several dozen representatives of a species spend the winter in a burrow at once, then a large moving ball appears on the surface.
Most active life cycle for the viper it occurs from March to April. Be the first to bask on sun rays Males crawl out of the winter shelter, and only when the air warms up above 24 °C do female vipers crawl out of the hole. During winter sleep, up to 15% of adults and 40% of young individuals die in nature.
The lifespan of this snake is wildlife at favorable conditions can reach from 12 to 15 years. At the same time, in a snake nursery and specialized terrariums, common vipers can live from 20 to 30 years. The longevity of snakes in such conditions is explained by the fact that the reptiles receive constant nutrition, they are protected from attacks by enemies, the microclimate is also favorable and timely health care veterinarians.
Enemies
Despite its poisonous nature, the viper has many potential enemies in the wild. The reptile can become dinner for hedgehogs, wild boars, owls, eagle and others birds of prey. If a reptile meets a person on the way, then he most often tries to kill the snake for self-defense.
Nutrition
These reptiles crawl out to hunt at nightfall. The diet of these snakes includes mice, frogs, and also feeds on lizards, newts, salamanders, hatched chicks and bird eggs. The menu of vipers depends on the territory of their habitat. Juveniles feed on worms, spiders and frogs. As they grow, after the viper’s body reaches 30 cm, young snakes switch to a more adult diet. With the onset of cold weather, these reptiles go into hibernation, which lasts from 150 to 180 days. But in the coldest northern latitudes, the viper’s hibernation can last up to nine months.
Poisonousness of the common viper
It is believed that reptiles have virtually no hearing, so snakes do not leave their territory when a person appears. However, the entire body of the viper is very susceptible to various vibrations. If a person steps on soft, for example, peat soil, then the reptile feels the movement of the earth with its entire body. When a person gets in the way of a viper, it considers him an enemy and quickly attacks in self-defense. Its protective instincts are triggered, which explains the behavior of the snake during an attack on a person.
It is generally accepted that the viper is not able to bite through the thick fabric of jeans or shoes. However, people should still avoid the habitats of this poisonous snake. If a common viper nevertheless attacks a person, then its bite is not considered fatal. The bitten person soon recovers. However, the bite of this snake can be very painful and dangerous to health. After a bite, swelling appears on the surface of the wound, then acute anemia sets in, the patient becomes dizzy, has a headache, severe weakness and progressive shock. The blood inside the vessels begins to clot, changes occur in the body - in the tissues of the liver and kidneys. The victim must be taken to the hospital for medical care.
There are cases when victims of a snake bite cannot see a doctor in time for help, so experienced tourists recommend taking a special serum with them on such dangerous trips. To neutralize the viper’s venom, the patient should inject “Anti-viper” serum or its equivalent under the skin. The required therapeutic dose is 150 AE. Before injecting serum against viper venom subcutaneously, the victim needs to take 1 or 2 tablets of Prednisolone or any antihistamine, for example Suprastin or Tavegil. These medications will help the patient cope with the allergic reaction in the body. If the victims do not have the “miraculous” serum with them, then it is necessary to put the patient to bed and constantly give him plenty of water to drink. It is prohibited to give alcohol in such cases. It is also not recommended to suck the poison out of the wound, because a person may have invisible damage to the oral cavity. After this, you need to immediately call an ambulance.
Video: Common viper (Vipera berus)
Imagination with its quantity and diversity. Snakes are included in the class of reptiles, the order Scaly. In the suborder of snakes, different scientists identify from 8 to 20 families. This discrepancy is associated with the discovery of new species and difficulties in their classification. The most numerous families include:
Snakes are familiar to many peoples, because they have colonized all continents, except, of course, Antarctica, since they are cold-blooded. Most snakes prefer warm climate, they live at the equator and in the tropics. As we move towards the poles, the number of snakes decreases. And only the common viper is capable of living in cold climates. Snakes live in a wide variety of places. They live in the ocean sea snakes. This is a whole family, most species of which even breed their offspring far from the shore. Some species of colubrids, slates, and vipers lead a burrowing, underground lifestyle. Snakes have mastered deserts and steppes, forests and mountains, rivers and lakes. Some species of colubrids, pitheads, adders, and boa constrictors lead an arboreal lifestyle. There is even a species of snake that can fly from one tree to another in a gliding flight - this is the decorated tree snake.
Snakes are enough unusual creatures, with an original appearance and unique, enchanting ways of movement. Their amazing features The behavior and toxicity of many representatives have always attracted people's attention. Snakes are the heroes of many myths and legends, often causing superstitious fear. To date, about 3,000 species of snakes have been discovered! Let's consider species of snakes famous for some peculiarities.
The common grass snake is the most common species in Eurasia non-venomous snakes. There is a distinctive mark on the head - a pair of light spots. The common one lives where it is humid, there are bodies of water, basks in the sun for a long time, and deftly climbs trees. He swims and dives well and can stay under water for a long time. When a person approaches, it tries to hide, hisses, but rarely bites. If picked up, it can stain the “invader” with belching and fluid from the cloaca, and then very skillfully pretends to be dead. It feeds on newts, frogs, and toads. The toad does not run away from the snake, but tries to scare it - it swells up, rises as high as possible, because large toad It’s difficult to swallow, and the poison from its skin is harmful to the snake. But these tricks do not always save the toad.
Reticulated python- this one long snake, the length recorded by scientists is 12 meters. These pythons live in Asia. The reticulated python can climb a tree for prey and loves water. The mother python is very responsible - she protects and warms her clutch, raising the temperature own body, by tensing the muscles. They are generally peaceful creatures, but they are capable of hunting poultry, piglets. And here it is close relative – tiger python, reaching 8 meters, often lives in Indian houses, helping to fight rodents.
Anaconda is the heaviest snake, its weight can reach two centners! This snake is very strong, because large bones there is none in her body, and such a decent weight falls mainly on muscles. The anaconda's nostrils are closed with special valves, thanks to which it can remain under water for a long time. It was once called a water boa. The anaconda gives birth to live young - it is ovoviviparous. Many Indian tribes value anaconda meat and skin.
Poisonous snakes
The common viper is the most common venomous snake in Russia and the most famous in Europe. It lives from forest-steppe to forest-tundra natural area, V taiga zone. Vipers often live in pairs on an area of 2-4 hectares. However, dozens of individuals can gather for the winter, forming “snake centers.” Two factors contribute to this. Firstly, it is not so easy to find a reliable shelter, and secondly, together it is easier for them to keep warm. In particularly harsh winters, cold-blooded animals can die en masse, which almost never happens to vipers. Even a temporary cold snap will not take them by surprise - they will hide in advance in their winter shelters, located below the freezing zone. IN hibernation vipers can stay for six months, waking up in early spring. They bask in the sun's rays at dawn and dusk, which helps them digest food, but they avoid direct rays. Juvenile vipers feed on insects, while the diet of adults is dominated by rodents. The bite of a common viper is not fatal to humans; it never attacks first, but hisses and makes false attacks in order to scare away. The viper has tubular poisonous teeth; when at rest, they lie in the mouth parallel to the palate. The teeth are movable - the mouth opens and they become perpendicular to the palate. Since they are quite large, this snake strikes with them like a knife. The venom paralyzes the snake's prey and speeds up the digestion process.
Sand epha is the owner of one of the most valuable poisons; it is used to create not only serums, but also medicines. On the sand, as if especially for snake catchers, she leaves her “autograph” - separate lines with a hook at the end, located parallel to each other, but at an angle to the line of movement. Sand is a poor support for the snake’s body, which is why this “sideways move” was developed. The snake pulls up the back of its body and throws it forward and sideways, leaning on its side and not touching middle part sand body, pulls up the front part. The movement itself is asymmetrical, in order to make the load on the muscles equal, the snakes crawl forward first on one side or the other. Efa is small (a little more than half a meter), its threat pose is two moving half rings and a hiss. The attack can be so lightning fast that even experienced hunters cannot always cope with this snake.
The king cobra is one of the most famous snakes, it is also the largest of all poisonous ones - up to 5.5 meters. This cobra's diet includes snakes of other species. The threat pose is a raised front part of the body and an inflated hood. When biting, the cobra injects a significant amount of poison, which is potent. The quantity and quality of this poison can kill an elephant. However, she can regulate its secretion and, when biting a person, covers the ducts of the poisonous glands. Scientists suggest that the cobra saves its venom for real prey. A swift bite is impossible for a cobra - the teeth are short, in order to sink them deeper and inject poison, you have to repeatedly clench your jaws. Cobras make their nest on a mountain of leaves. The future offspring are often looked after by a couple; they immediately attack a potential enemy of their clutch.
Description
The common viper is usually medium in size - males reach 60 cm, females 70 cm. In the north of the range rare specimens reach 1 meter in length. The head is separated from the body by a short neck, the muzzle is on top, in front of the line connecting the front edges of the eyes, has 3 large shields (one in the middle and two on the sides), as well as a number of smaller ones. The pupil is vertical. The muzzle is rounded at the end. Nasal opening cut in the middle of the nasal shield. Coloration varies greatly from gray and bluish to coppery red and black, with a characteristic zigzag pattern on the back along the ridge. In the latter case, the pattern is practically indistinguishable.
Spreading
Area common viper includes Europe (Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, France, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, northern Greece, Switzerland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia - the middle and northern regions of the European part) and Asia (Russia - Siberia, the Far East up to Sakhalin inclusive; Northern Korea and northern regions China). This is the only snake found far north (up to 68° northern latitude) due to its low sensitivity to low temperatures.
Lifestyle
The common viper lives on average 11-12 years. It quickly adapts to any terrain and can live at altitudes up to 3000 meters above sea level. The distribution is uneven depending on the availability of suitable wintering sites. The saddle, as a rule, does not move further than 50-100 meters. The exception is forced migration to a wintering place; in this case, snakes can move up to a distance of 5 km. Wintering usually occurs from October-November to March-April (depending on the climate), for which it chooses a depression in the ground (burrows, crevices, etc.) at a depth of up to 2 meters, where the temperature does not drop below +2... +4 °C. If there is a shortage of such places, several hundred individuals may accumulate in one place, and in the spring they crawl to the surface, which creates the impression of great crowding. Subsequently, the snakes crawl away.
IN summer time often basks in the sun, the rest of the time it hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. The snake is non-aggressive, and when a person approaches, it tries to use its camouflage coloring as much as possible, or to move away. Only in case of unexpected appearance of a person or in case of provocation on his part can she try to bite him. This cautious behavior is explained by the fact that it requires a lot of energy to reproduce venom in conditions of changing temperatures.
Reproduction
The mating season is in May, and the offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. The viper is viviparous - the eggs develop and the young hatch in the womb. Usually up to 8-12 young individuals appear, depending on the length of the female. It happens that during childbirth, the female wraps herself around a tree or stump, leaving her tail hanging, “scattering” baby snakes onto the ground, which from the first moment begin independent life. Juveniles are usually 15-20 cm long and are already poisonous. Many people believe that only born individuals are more poisonous, but this is not true. It is also not true that young individuals are more aggressive. Just after being born, snakes usually moult. Subsequently, molting of young and adults occurs 1 - 2 times a month. Before their first hibernation in October-November, they never eat, since before hibernation they must digest all the food they eat in order to avoid problems with metabolism.
I
The common viper is deadly poisonous, and its venom is similar to that of rattlesnakes. However, it produces much smaller quantity poison compared to the latter, and for this reason is considered less dangerous. The bite is rarely fatal. However, a person who is bitten should seek medical attention immediately.
The venom contains high molecular weight proteases with hemorrhagic, hemocoagulating and necrotizing effects and low molecular weight neurotropic cytotoxins. As a result of the bite, hemorrhagic edema, necrosis and hemorrhagic penetration of tissues in the area of injection of the poison occur, accompanied by dizziness, lethargy, headache, nausea, and shortness of breath. Subsequently, progressive shock of complex origin, acute anemia, intravascular coagulation, and increased capillary permeability develop. In severe cases, dystrophic changes occur in the liver and kidneys.
In spring, viper venom is more toxic than in summer.
Enemies in nature
The main enemies of the viper in nature are storks, herons, kites, eagles and owls. On the ground are hedgehogs, wild boars, or large rodents. Also, snakes often die under the hooves of cattle in pastures or at the hands of humans, including under the wheels of vehicles.
Notes
Literature
- “Amphibians and reptiles of the USSR”, A. G. Bannikov, I. S. Darevsky, A. K. Rustamov, ed. "Thought", 1971
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Viper: The common viper is a species of poisonous snake of the genus of true vipers of the viper family. Real vipers are a genus of poisonous snakes of the Viper family. Viper family of poisonous snakes Viper (story) story by Alexei Tolstoy.... ... Wikipedia - (common viper), snake family. vipers. Dl. 60-70 cm, sometimes up to 85 cm. The color is varied - from gray and sand to black tones. A characteristic dark zigzag stripe runs along the back, invisible in black individuals. On the top side... ...
Biological encyclopedic dictionary There is nowhere to put brands, toadstool, scoundrel, reptile, scum, scoundrel, nowhere to put brands, infection, bitch, creature, bastard, bitch, daboya, filth, sneak, scoundrel, vulture, bitch, scoundrel, snake, viper, rubbish, viper, bastard, viper, scoundrel...
Dictionary of synonyms Handbook of homeopathy
Common viper Common viper Scientific classification Kingdom: Animals T ... Wikipedia- Common viper. Common viper. Snakes are animals of the reptile class. They are characterized by an elongated body, devoid of limbs. Z.'s body is covered with scales and horny scutes. The top layer of Z.'s skin is periodically shed. Thin… … First aid - popular encyclopedia
Common viper (Vipera berus) is a very widespread snake. It can be found throughout the northern part of Eurasia from Northern Portugal, Spain and England to northeastern China, Sakhalin Island, and northern Korea. It rises into the mountains to a height of 3 km above sea level. In Russia, the common viper is distributed throughout Middle lane from the Arctic (in the west, east of Arkhangelsk, the range boundary runs further south) to the steppe zone in the south. But vipers are distributed unevenly throughout the territory; they usually form “foci” in areas with the most favorable living conditions for them, with the presence of convenient wintering shelters. In such places, vipers can be seen on the outskirts and islands of moss swamps, in clearings, overgrown forest burnt areas, near clearings of mixed (less often coniferous) forests.
The viper, unlike the snake, does not tolerate the proximity of people and their economic activities. Occasionally it can be found near buildings and vegetable gardens in forest areas, on reclamation canals, on little-visited islands next to the city - the viper swims well, successfully crosses rivers and lakes and, when it gets to the islands, can take root there. But a truly cultivated landscape - fields, gardens, parks, villages, etc. – these snakes clearly avoid and disappear from places intensively developed by humans. This is the reason for the decrease in their numbers. In Western Europe, a big problem is the numerous broad car roads
, through which reptiles cannot crawl. These roads fragment the habitats of lizards and snakes into small, isolated areas. This fragmentation of populations leads to a gradual decrease in the number of reptiles and the extinction of individual populations that find themselves isolated. People directly destroy vipers, often striving to kill every snake they encounter. They were caught for poison, and recently they have been caught by terrarium lovers. Vipers also suffer from disturbance in areas where there are large numbers of people and domestic animals.
For example, according to observations in Sweden, mass walking of dogs in the forests frightens snakes in the spring, during the mating season, and frightened females do not reproduce this year. In the forest zone of the Volga region, where places of mass recreation arise near the Volga, the viper becomes rare. In the forests near Kiev, the viper began to disappear since clearings and roads were cut and a significant number of vacationers appeared. In addition, zoologists and students caught vipers here every year. As a result, by the end of the 20th century. The viper near Kiev was on the verge of complete extinction. But in vast, inaccessible forest areas, in places not affected by human economic activity, the viper is still common. Most of it is now in the north-west of the European part of Russia and in
Western Siberia – at least 10 million snakes. The common viper is an ovoviviparous species. In the north and in the center of the forest zone, female vipers, according to some observations, reproduce every other year, in the south - annually. Young snakes are usually born at the end of August and September. There are up to 8–12 of them in a brood. The female can give birth to babies gradually, every other day. For two or three days, young vipers stay in
place of birth
Mass appearance of vipers in spring is observed from the end of March and in April. In the Carpathians, vipers coming to the surface were observed even in February at an air temperature of +12 °C and soil temperature of +4 °C. In spring, vipers can be seen more often during the day - they bask in the sun and hunt. The breeding season begins 2–4 weeks after leaving wintering grounds. Males can gather near the female and organize tournaments: raising the front part of the body, they intertwine and move slowly, sometimes getting closer, sometimes moving away and changing places, then unexpectedly attack each other, trying to press the opponent’s head to the ground (but without biting). This fight continues until the weaker male gives in and crawls away.
Later, the vipers crawl into their areas, which can be 2–3 km away from the wintering site. In these areas, the area of which for a pair of snakes ranges from 1.5 to 4 hectares, vipers stay all summer, usually not crawling further than 100 m from their shelters: cracks in stumps, burrows, voids under tree roots. Near such shelters they bask in the sun in the first half of the day, and hunt at dusk and at night. IN warm time of the year greatest number Vipers can be found at air temperatures of +19 ... +24 °C. The optimal temperature for them is 25–28 °C, and at a temperature of +37 °C these snakes get heat shock and may die. IN extreme heat they can crawl 200–300 m to more wet places
or climb onto the branches of bushes, to a height of up to 1 m.
When in danger, the viper tends to crawl to the side and hide. She bites in defense only when she is grabbed or pressed down, preventing her from crawling away. Experiments in captivity showed that vipers were slightly aggressive: when handled carefully, they remained calm and did not bite, even when picked up. When disturbed, the snakes bit a hand wearing a thick glove only in one case out of nine, and in the remaining eight they limited themselves to a false lunge with their head. So the danger of suffering from a viper’s bite is not very great unless it is specifically caught or accidentally crushed. But in places where there are an abundance of snakes, you should wear thick shoes and thick trousers and carefully watch your step. If you have to move the grass apart, for example when picking berries, you should do this carefully. In order to scare away vipers from a certain place in advance, you need to step hard on the ground - snakes sensitively detect the shaking of the soil and crawl away.
The venom of the common viper is not very strong. It causes pain, swelling at the site of the bite, and a rise in temperature, but after a few days recovery usually occurs, especially when using modern drugs. For many years in Europe, isolated cases of death from the bite of a common viper have been known, mostly among children, mainly in the first half of the 20th century. In most cases it was a bite to the face.
After a viper bite, you need to remain calm and drink more water, coffee, tea (but not alcohol!).
It is now not recommended to cut or cauterize the bite site, or to tighten the limb with a tourniquet - this can cause complications and tissue necrosis. Sometimes it is recommended to suck out the poison if there are no damaged teeth or abrasions in the mouth. It is best to go to a medical center for help.
Snake venom, a valuable raw material for medicine, is obtained from vipers. These snakes also bring benefits by exterminating mouse-like rodents. Therefore, vipers should be protected, especially since, perhaps, only in Russia they are still preserved in sufficient numbers - unlike other countries where the number of these snakes is rapidly decreasing. You should be careful about “snake hot spots” - places where vipers accumulate in small areas where there are a lot of rodents and convenient holes for these reptiles. It is very easy to destroy these foci, and as a result, vipers can disappear from a large surrounding area.
Vipers come in many color forms. In the European part of Russia there is a black viper - Nikolsky's viper. Some zoologists describe it as separate species Vipera nikolskii
, others consider it a subspecies of the common viper. 1 Nikolsky's viper is included in the Red Book of Russia; in biology it is similar to an ordinary viper, but has not yet been sufficiently studied. Recently, the Far Eastern form of the common viper, found east of Baikal, has begun to be identified as a separate species - (Sakhalin viper).
IN Vipera sachalinensis steppe zone , gravitating towards dry open areas , meets (steppe viper Vipera ursini ) – in the south of Central and Eastern Europe, in the Ciscaucasia and the Caucasus, in the south of the Volga region and Western Siberia, in Kazakhstan and in the north-west Central Asia
. The steppe viper is smaller and lighter than the common viper. In its diet, a significantly larger share is made up of insects, primarily locusts. The venom of the steppe viper is weaker than that of the common viper, and no deaths from its bite have been observed. The steppe viper is also viviparous and at the end of summer gives birth to from 3 to 16 already formed snakes.
Plowing of the steppes led to a sharp decrease in the number of steppe vipers in Central and Eastern Europe. Any other development of the territory also has a negative effect on it. The steppe viper is included as a species subject to protection in the Berne Convention for the Conservation of European Fauna and in the Red Book of Ukraine. But perhaps this species is still quite prosperous in the east of its range, in semi-deserts, on mountain slopes and in mountain steppes. From multiple bites steppe vipers Sheep and horses can become very sick and sometimes die. (But the poison does not save this snake from predators - ferrets, hedgehogs, steppe and marsh harriers, herons. Also eats steppe vipers) - she is insensitive to viper venom, and her own kills lizards and small snakes almost instantly. For humans and large animals, the venom of a lizard snake is probably of little toxicity; moreover, its grooved poisonous teeth are located deep in the mouth and cannot be used to bite a large animal. They only take out the victim that the snake has already swallowed. In captivity, young steppe vipers are eaten and copperhead (Coronella austriaca) - her saliva is probably also poisonous to lizards and small snakes (paralyzes them), but has no effect on humans.
The Caucasian viper lives in the Caucasus mountains. At the beginning of the 20th century. some zoologists considered it a subspecies of the common viper, then separated it into a separate species, and at the end of the 20th century, on the basis of this species, several more species were described, very similar to each other both in appearance and in biological features. Within Russia this is Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznakovi), alpine viper Dinnika (Vipera dinniki), rare and little studied Lotieva's viper (Vipera lotievi). 2
Caucasian vipers are somewhat denser than the common viper, shorter, and brighter.
Among these snakes, the predominant ones are red-brown, orangish, with black sides, and often have a row of spots on the back instead of a stripe. Sometimes there are almost black individuals. Caucasian vipers feed mainly on mouse-like rodents, reproduce once every 2–3 years and are preserved mainly in alpine mountain meadows, where few people visit. Dinnik's viper and Caucasian viper (Kaznakova) are listed in the Red Book of Russia, because have a limited habitat. (On the territory of Russia, in Dagestan, another species is occasionally found, the largest of the vipers - viper
Vipera lebetina ). Its length can exceed 1 m, and its thickness can be as thick as an arm. Males up to 1.6 m long and females up to 1.3 m long are described. The color of the viper is grayish or brownish with faint dark spots - matching the color of the soil and stones. Indeed, in nature, a stationary viper is not easy to notice. This snake feeds mainly on small animals, but also successfully hunts small birds, climbing bushes and
Vipers regularly make seasonal migrations: in the spring they spread out from wintering places in mountain crevices, often concentrating near bodies of water, where they hunt, drink water and willingly swim. In the fall, vipers again crawl to their wintering places. In spring and autumn, these snakes are more active during the day, and in the hot season of summer - at dusk and at night. In different parts of its range, the viper can give birth to live young or lay eggs (as happens, for example, in Central Asia).
The viper is a truly dangerous poisonous snake; more than 10% of victims die from its bites. Even with treatment, complications often occur - tissue necrosis at the bite sites.
When a viper bites, it tightly clings to the victim and injects a lot of poison into it.
The movements of the viper are fast, the body is strong, and it can inflict a bite by lunging from a distance of the length of its body. It is especially difficult to notice the viper, lurking in anticipation of prey in the vineyard, on the branches of bushes and trees. In the spring, during the breeding season, males can be quite aggressive, and there are known cases of viper attacks on a person who was simply passing nearby. –
However, humans are no less dangerous for the viper. At the beginning of the 20th century. in all places of its distribution - in North Africa, Asia Minor and Central Asia, in Transcaucasia, on the islands
Mediterranean Sea
The viper was common, but now its numbers have greatly decreased everywhere. In the USSR, it was the most popular snake in serpentariums, where venom was taken from it for the production of serums and medications. As a result of mass fishing, the number of viper in a number of regions of Central Asia and the Transcaucasus was undermined and at the end of the 20th century. the question arose about limiting and temporarily stopping its catching. In Dagestan, the viper is protected and is included in the Red Book of Russia.
Currently, vipers are breeding in some zoos and there is hope that captive breeding of this viper will become more widespread and accessible. This is necessary to obtain its valuable poison.
Poisonous snakes have their own value to people. Unfortunately, we still observe a negative attitude towards them, attempts to kill them when they meet, including from schoolchildren. It is advisable to inform children more about the importance of snakes in nature, about their benefits, in particular about the benefits of vipers, so that later they do not regret their disappearance... Literature Botansky A.T. Biology, conservation and
rational use common and Caucasian viper: Author's abstract. – M., 1986.
Key to amphibians and reptiles of the fauna of the USSR. – M.: Education, 1977.
Orlova V.F., Semenov D.V. Life of animals. Amphibians and reptiles. (Nature of Russia) - M.: Ast-Astrel, 1999.
Pikulik M.M., Bakharev V.A., Kotov S.V. Reptiles of Belarus. – Minsk: Science and Technology, 1988.
Shcherbak N.N., Shcherban M.I. Amphibians and reptiles of the Ukrainian Carpathians. – Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1980.
Ecology and systematics of amphibians and reptiles/Ed. N.B. Ananyeva and L.Ya. Borkina. – L.: ZIN “Science”, 1979.
1 Nikolsky's viper differs from the ordinary one not only in its black color (ordinary vipers are also black), but also in some other features. It is widespread in the southern, forest-steppe and steppe regions between the Dnieper and Volga - in the eastern regions of Ukraine and in the Russian Black Earth Region. – Prim. edit.
And even further north), or in the mountains up to 2600 m above sea level.
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Description
A relatively small snake, whose length including the tail usually does not exceed 65 cm. The largest specimens are found in the northern part of the range: for example, snakes more than 90 cm long have been recorded on the Scandinavian Peninsula. In France and Great Britain, the largest individuals reached a length of 80-87 cm. Several females larger than males. The weight of an adult viper varies from 50 to 180 g.
The large flattened head with a rounded muzzle is noticeably separated from the body by a short neck. In the upper part of the head there are three large shields, one of which - the frontal - has an almost rectangular shape, elongated along the body and is located in the space between the eyes, the remaining two - the parietal - are directly behind it. Sometimes another small scute is developed between the frontal and parietal scutes. The nasal opening is cut into the lower part of the nasal shield. The vertical pupil, along with the overhanging supraorbital scutes, give the snake an angry appearance, although they have nothing to do with the manifestation of emotions. The apical shield is not divided. There are usually 21 scales around the middle of the body. Abdominal scales in males are 132-150, in females 132-158. There are 32-46 pairs of tail scales in males and 23-38 pairs in females.
The color is extremely variable - the main background can be gray, yellowish-brown, brown or reddish with a copper tint. In some areas, up to 50% of the population are melanistic black vipers. Most individuals have a contrasting zigzag pattern along the backbone. The belly is gray, grayish-brown or black, sometimes with white spots. The tip of the tail is yellow, orange or red. Juveniles often have a copper-brown back with a zigzag stripe.
Spreading
The common viper has a mosaic distribution in the forest belt of Eurasia from Great Britain, France and northern Italy in the west, to Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula in the east. In France, the main habitat area is within the Massif Central. In Europe southern border its range extends through northern Italy, northern Albania, northern Greece and European Turkey. IN Eastern Europe The viper in some places penetrates the Arctic Circle - for example, it lives in the Lapland Nature Reserve and on the shores of the Barents Sea. To the east - in Siberia and Far East- distribution in many places is limited by the lack of suitable wintering burrows. The viper is found north on the Lena up to the 62nd parallel, in Western Siberia up to the 64th parallel, east to the Trans-Baikal Territory. From the south, the range is limited to steppe regions. The southeastern edge of the distribution area is located in Mongolia (Mongolian Altai), northwestern and northeastern China (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Jirin Province).
Lifestyle
Life expectancy can reach 15, and according to some sources, 30 years. However, observations in Sweden indicate that snakes rarely survive after two or three years reproduction, which, taking into account the achievement of sexual maturity, gives a maximum age of 5-7 years. The viper quickly adapts to any terrain; in the Swiss Alps it rises to 2600 m above sea level. Habitats are more diverse in the northern and eastern parts of the range, where the snake often colonizes peat bogs, heather heaths, and mixed forests, shores of various freshwater reservoirs, wet meadows, field edges, shelterbelts, dunes. In southern Europe, biotopes are mainly limited to wet depressions in mountainous terrain. Distribution is uneven depending on the availability of places suitable for wintering. The saddle, as a rule, does not move further than 60-100 meters. The exception is forced migration to a wintering place; in this case, snakes can move away to a distance of up to 2-5 km. Wintering usually occurs from October-November to March-April (depending on the climate), in the north of the range it lasts up to 9 months, for which the snake chooses a depression in the ground (burrows, crevices, etc.) at a depth of up to 2 meters, where the temperature does not drop below +2… +4 °C. If there is a shortage of such places, several hundred individuals may accumulate in one place, and in the spring they crawl to the surface, which creates the impression of great crowding. Subsequently, the snakes crawl away.
In the summer it sometimes basks in the sun, but for the most part hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. The snake is not aggressive and, when a person approaches, tries to use its camouflage coloring as much as possible, or crawl away. Only in the event of a person's unexpected appearance or provocation on his part can she try to bite him. This cautious behavior is explained by the fact that it requires a lot of energy to reproduce venom in conditions of changing temperatures.
Reproduction
The mating season is in May, and the offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. The viper is viviparous - the development of eggs and the hatching of cubs occurs in the womb. Usually up to 8-12 young individuals appear, depending on the length of the female. It happens that during childbirth, the female wraps herself around a tree or stump, leaving her tail hanging, “scattering” baby snakes onto the ground, which from the first moment begin an independent life. Juveniles are usually 15-20 cm long and are already poisonous. Many people believe that only born individuals are more poisonous, but this is not true. The opinion that young individuals are more aggressive is also incorrect. Just after being born, snakes usually moult. Subsequently, molting of young and adults occurs 1-2 times a month. Before their first hibernation in October-November, they never eat, since before hibernation they must digest all the food they eat in order to avoid problems with metabolism.
I
In terms of the complex of components, the venom of the common viper is similar to the venoms of other European and tropical species vipers It contains high molecular weight proteases with hemorrhagic, hemocoagulating and necrotizing effects, peptide hydrolases, hyaluronidases and phospholipases, which at the time of the bite enter the lymph nodes circulatory system.
For humans, the bite of a common viper is considered potentially dangerous, but is extremely rarely fatal. For example, in the UK, only 14 were registered between 1876 and 2005. deaths, the last of which occurred in 1975 (a five-year-old child died from a bite). About 70% of those bitten either experience no symptoms at all or feel a burning pain directly in the area of the bite. Often redness and swelling develop around the wound - hemorrhagic edema. With a more severe degree of intoxication, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pale skin, increased sweating, chills, and tachycardia are possible within 15-30 minutes. Finally, with particularly increased sensitivity, loss of consciousness, swelling of the face, a significant drop in blood pressure, heavy bleeding (DIC syndrome), renal failure, convulsive or comatose state may occur. In the vast majority of cases, the consequences of the bite disappear after 2-4 days, but can last for more long term up to a year. In particular, improper self-treatment can lead to complications.
As first aid When bitten, doctors recommend calming down, applying a pressure bandage (but not a tourniquet), reducing the load on the limb to the point of immobilization, and ensuring plenty of fluids. Opinions about the benefits of sucking poison from a wound are divided: some experts believe that with this procedure, up to 30-50% of all poison can be removed within 10-15 minutes, others consider it harmful, since bacterial flora can enter the blood along with saliva, causing purulent inflammation. Incorrect and erroneous, but still common methods of treatment include making transverse incisions at the site of the bite, cauterization, applying a tourniquet, and covering with snow.
Enemies
Greatest danger for the common viper, it is represented by man, primarily by his economic activities aimed at deforestation and other changes in natural landscapes. In Europe, there are also frequent cases of deliberate extermination and catching of vipers for sale to be kept in private terrariums. In Romania, illegal trapping of snakes for the purpose of collecting venom is practiced. Among forest inhabitants The main enemies of vipers are hedgehogs, which are immune to snake venom. The hedgehog uses the following tactics when attacking: it bites the snake on the body and immediately curls up into a ball, exposing its needles for a retaliatory strike. The procedure is repeated several times until the viper weakens and dies. Snakes are also hunted by the common fox, badger, ferrets, owls, snake eagles, and, less commonly, storks.
Notes
- Ananyeva N. B., Borkin L. Ya., Darevsky I. S., Orlov N. L. Five-language dictionary of animal names. Amphibians and reptiles. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / under the general editorship of academician. V. E. Sokolova. - M.: Rus. lang., 1988. - P. 363. - 10,500 copies.
- - ISBN 5-200-00232-X.
- , p. 230.
- , With. 329. Olsson, M.; Madsen, T.; Shine, R.
- Is sperm really so cheap? Costs of reproduction in male adders, Vipera berus // Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. - 1997. - T. 264, No. 1380. - pp. 455-459. - DOI:10.1098/rspb.1997.0065. Strugariu, Alexandru; Zamfirescu, Stefan R.; Gherghel, Iulian. First record of the adder ( Vipera berus berus
- ) in Argeş County (Southern Romania) // Biharean Biologist. - 2009. - T. 3, No. 4. - P. 164.
- , With. 274.
- , With. 79. Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Common viper . (undefined).