Vipera aspis zinnikeri
Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Suborder
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Vipera aspis zinnikeri

Vipera aspis zinnikeri is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to the Pyrenees region of Spain and France.

Animal name origin

It was named after "W. Zinniker", a Swiss herpetologist.

Appearance

Vipera aspis zinnikeri is relatively small in size, with a maximum total length (body + tail) of 65 cm (26 in). Also, the head is long and narrow compared to other subspecies of this species. The total number of ventrals plus subcaudals is 175-187 in males and 170-183 in females.

Show More

The color pattern is much like that of Vipera berus. The dorsal pattern is fused into a broad, wavy or zigzag dark stripe that contains a straight-edged, pale stripe about three scales wide. This pattern stands out clearly against the ground color, which is particularly light along the edges of the dorsal pattern. Series of dark vertical bars or extended ovals run along the flanks, opposing the indentations of the dorsal pattern.

The aforementioned middorsal stripe may be pale beige or grey. The ground color of some specimens may approach clear orange.

Show Less

Distribution

Geography

This race is found in the Pyrenees region of northeastern Spain and southwestern France. Steward (1971) states that they occur in the Department of Gers in Gascony, southwestern France. Street (1979) describes its range as "Gascony, Andorra and a nearby Spanish locality."

Habits and Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Population

References

1. Vipera aspis zinnikeri Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_aspis_zinnikeri

More Fascinating Animals to Learn About