The Asp viper is a venomous snake that occurs in southwestern Europe. The head of this snake is broad, triangular and quite distinct from the neck. The tip of the snout is slightly but distinctly upturned. Males are generally grey in color while the females can be grey, brown and various shades of orange. The dorsal markings vary strongly but only rarely take the form of a clear zigzag pattern.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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OvoviviparousOvoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous an...
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PoisonousVenom is a type of poison, especially one secreted by an animal. It is delivered in a bite, sting, or similar action. Venom has evolved in terrestr...
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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Asp vipers are found in France, Andorra, northeastern Spain, extreme southwestern Germany in the southern Black Forest, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, and northwestern Slovenia. These snakes have specific habitat requirements. They need warm areas that are exposed to the sun, structured vegetation and comparatively dry soils. In Italy and France, they are often found in areas with low mountains or hills, notably in limestone regions, but sometimes occur in lower plains. They prefer vegetated areas or environments with at least some coverage. Here they can be found on sunny slopes, on scrublands, in glades, in mountain meadows, forest clearings, at the borders of woods, in rubbish dumps and in stone quarries. In Italy, Asp vipers occur in mesic chestnut/oak woodlands and often near streams.
Asp vipers are diurnal snakes and lead a solitary life. During the hot weather, they become more active in the evenings. These snakes live in burrows made by small rodents such as voles or mice in which they also hibernate during cold winter months. Asp vipers are calm and cautious in their nature. They are not aggressive and when disturbed prefer to flee and hide in cover.
Asp vipers are carnivores and their diet consists of rodents, lizards and small birds.
The breeding season for Asp vipers occurs between April and May. Females give birth to 5-12 live young after the gestation period that lasts around 3 or 4 months. Baby vipers are born fully developed and are able to hunt their first prey a few days after birth.
The main threat to Asp vipers is the loss of habitat due to agricultural industry and urbanization. They are also collected for the pet trade and persecuted because of fear. Road mortality poses another threat in some areas.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Asp viper total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
