Meadow Viper
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Vipera ursinii
Population size
Unknown
Length
40-80
15.7-31.5
cminch
cm inch 

Vipera ursinii is a venomous viper and a very rare species, that is in danger of extinction. This species is commonly called the meadow viper. It is found in France, Italy, and Greece as well as much of eastern Europe. Several subspecies are recognized. Beyond the highly threatened European population, poorly known populations exist as far to the east as Kazakhstan and northwestern China.

Di

Diurnal

Ca

Carnivore

Te

Terrestrial

Ar

Arboreal

Pr

Predator

Ov

Ovoviviparous

Ve

Venomous

Da

Dangerous

Ge

Generally solitary

Hi

Hibernating

M

starts with

Appearance

The Meadow viper is a very rare venomous snake, that is in danger of extinction. The smallest viper in Europe, its body is thick, its head narrow, and its appearance rough. The snout is not upturned. There are always several large scales or plates on the top of the head. The prominently keeled dorsal scales are in only 19 rows, and often dark skin shows between them. It is gray, tan, or yellowish with a dark undulating dorsal stripe, which is edged with black. Females of this species are larger than males.

Distribution

Geography

Meadow vipers are found in France, central Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Romania, and possibly Moldova. They inhabit steppe, meadows, dry slopes with shrubs, pasturelands, and rocky hillsides.

Meadow Viper habitat map

Climate zones

Meadow Viper habitat map

Habits and Lifestyle

Meadow vipers are generally solitary and active from April to October. In spring, these snakes can be active during the day, and during hot summer months in the morning and evening. On land, Meadow vipers move slowly, but swim well and can climb the branches of shrubs and trees. When hunting they visit colonies of small rodents and nests of birds.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Meadow vipers are carnivores feeding on various insects such as locusts, grasshoppers, crickets as well as spiders, small mammals, ground-nesting birds, and lizards.

Mating Habits

REPRODUCTION SEASON
April-May
PREGNANCY DURATION
90-120 days
BABY CARRYING
22 snakelets
FEMALE NAME
female
MALE NAME
male
BABY NAME
snakelet

The breeding season of Meadow vipers usually takes place between April and May. After the gestation period of 90-120 days, females give birth to up to 22 live young. The newly born snakebites are 11-13 cm (4.3-5 in) long and weigh 3.2-4.4 g (0.1-0.14 oz). They become reproductively mature when they are 3 years old and measure 27-30 cm (10.6-11.8 in).

Population

Population threats

The Meadow viper is the most threatened snake in Europe. Populations of this species suffer from habitat destruction caused by changes in agricultural practices and climate change in mountain areas. They also suffer greatly from the collection for the pet trade and can be threatened with extinction if the trade is not halted. Other important threats to this species include fires, constructions, leisure activities, afforestation, and persecution by humans.

Population number

The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Meadow viper total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

References

1. Meadow Viper on Wikpedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_ursinii
2. Meadow Viper on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22997/9406628

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