Macrovipera lebetina obtusa

Macrovipera lebetina obtusa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Viperinae
Genus:	Macrovipera
Species:	M. lebetina
Subspecies:	M. l. obtusa
Trinomial name
Macrovipera lebetina obtusa (Dwigubsky, 1832)
Synonyms
Vipera obtusa - Dwigubski, 1832 Vipera lebetina obtusa - Terent'ev & Chernov, 1940 Vipera lebetina obtusa - Minton, 1968 Daboia (Daboia) lebetina obtusa - Obst, 1983 Daboia lebetina obtusa - Engelmann et al., 1985 Macrovipera l[ebetina]. obtusa - Golay et al., 1993[1]

Common names: West-Asian blunt-nosed viper,^[2] Levant blunt-nosed viper.^[3]

Macrovipera lebetina obtusa is a venomous viper subspecies^[4] found between central Turkey and northern Pakistan (Kashmir).

Description

Distinguished by its higher scale counts—usually 170-175 ventrals and 25 (sometimes 27) midbody dorsal scales -- and relatively dark color pattern.^[5]

Geographic range

From central Turkey through Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, northern Jordan, the Caucasus region (incl. Armenia), Azerbaijan, Dagestan, Iran, southern Afghanistan, Pakistan and the (Kashmir region). According to Khan (1983), M. lebetina is restricted to the western highlands in Pakistan; it is allopatric with Daboia russelii, which occurs in the Indus River valley.^[5]

See also

• List of viperine species and subspecies
• Viperinae by common name
• Viperinae by taxonomic synonyms
• Snakebite

References

1. ^ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
2. ^ Steward JW. 1971. The Snakes of Europe. Cranbury, New Jersey: Associated University Press (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press). 238 pp. LCCCN 77-163307. ISBN 0-8386-1023-4.
3. ^ Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
4. ^ "Macrovipera lebetina obtusa". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=635244. Retrieved 10 August 2006. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 359 pp. ISBN 0-89464-877-2.

Further reading

• Golay P, Smith HM, Broadley DG, Dixon JR, McCarthy. Golray P, Schatti J-C, Toriba M. 1993. Endoglyphs and Other Major Venomous Snakes of the World: A Checklist. New York: Springer-Verlag. 393 pp.

External links

• Macrovipera lebetina at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 9 August 2007.