Vipera ursinii

Vipera ursinii
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Viperinae
Genus:	Vipera
Species:	V. ursinii
Binomial name
Vipera ursinii (Bonaparte, 1835)
Synonyms
Coluber foetidus Güldenstedt In Georgi, 1801 Pelias Ursinii Bonaparte, 1835 [P[elias]. berus] Var. Ursinii Cope, 1860 Pelias chersea vel Ursinii Cope, 1860 Pelias Renardi Christoph, 1861 [Vipera berus] var. rákosiensis Méhely, 1893 Vipera ursinii Boulenger, 1893 Vipera renardi Boulenger, 1893 Vipera ursinii var. rakosiensis Méhely, 1894 Vipera ursinii Boulenger, 1896 Vipera renardi Boulenger, 1896 Vipera macrops Méhely, 1911 Vipera ursinii macrops Bolkay, 1924 Vipera (Pelias) ursinii forma trans. rudolphi Reuss, 1924 Acridophaga ursinii Reuss, 1927 Vipera ursinii ursinii Müller, 1927 Coluber ursinoides Nikolsky, 1927 Peilas berus var. uralensis Reuss, 1929 (nomen nudum) Acridophaga uralensis Reuss, 1929 Vipera berus var. rakosiensis Werner, 1929 A[cridophaga]. (renardi) eriwanensis Reuss, 1933 Vipera ursinii renardi Schwarz, 1936 Vipera ursinii macrops Schwarz, 1936 Acridophaga ursini Werner, 1938 Vipera berus var. renardi Başoğlu, 1947 Vipera ursinii rakosiensis Knoepffler & Sochurek, 1955 Vipera ursinii ebneri Knoepffler & Sochurek, 1955 Vipera ursinii wettsteini Knoepffler & Sochurek, 1955 Vipera orsinii Ghidini, 1958 Vipera ursinii ursinii Kramer, 1961 Vipera ursinii rudolphi Kramer, 1961 Acridophaga eriwanensis Kramer, 1961 Vipera ursinii anatolica Eiselt & Baran, 1970 Vipera ursinii renardi Saint-Girons, 1978 Vipera (Vipera) ursinii ursinii Obst, 1983 Vipera (Vipera) ursinii macrops Obst, 1983 Vipera (Vipera) ursinii rakosiensis Obst, 1983 Vipera (Vipera) ursinii renardi Obst, 1983 Vipera (Vipera) ursinii wettsteini Obst, 1983 Vipera ursinii eriwanensis Nilson, Andrén & Flärdh, 1988 Vipera ursinii graeca Nilson & Andrén, 1988 V[ipera]. ursinii rakoniensis González, 1991 Vipera ursinii Latifi, 1991 Vipera ursinii moldavica Nilson, Andrén & Joger, 1993[2]

Common names: meadow viper, Ursini's viper,^[3] meadow adder,^[4] (more).

Vipera ursinii is a venomous viper and a very widespread species, found from southeastern France all the way to China (Xinjiang).^[2] No subspecies are currently recognized.^[5] The specific name or epithet, ursinii, is in honor of Italian naturalist Antonio Orsini (1788–1870).^[6]

Description

Adults average 40–50 cm (16–20 inches) in total length, although specimens of 63–80 cm (25–31½ inches) have been reported.^[3] Females are larger than males. Although sometimes confused with V. aspis or V. berus, it differs from them in the following characters. 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.^[7]

Common names

Meadow viper, Ursini's viper,^[3], meadow adder,^[4] Orsini's viper, field viper,^[8] field adder.^[9] Although the following subspecies are currently invalid according to the taxonomy used here, their common names may still be encountered:

• V. u. ursinii – Italian meadow viper.^[8]
• V. u. macrops – karst viper,^[8] karst adder.^[4]
• V. u. rakosiensis – Danubian meadow viper.^[8]
• V. u. renardi – steppe viper,^[8] steppe adder, Renard's viper.^[4]
• V. u. wettsteini – French meadow viper.^[8]

Geographic range

Southeastern France, eastern Austria (extinct), Hungary, central Italy, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, northern and northeastern Albania, Romania, northern Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, northwestern Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and eastern Uzbekistan steppes to China (Xinjiang). The type locality given is " ... monti dell' Abruzzo prossimi alla provincia d'Ascoli... " (...mountains of Abruzzo near the Province of Ascoli Piceno, Italy...).^[2]

Conservation status

This species is considered to be a Vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, due to habitat destruction caused by changes in agricultural practices and climate change in mountain areas, and to collection for the pet trade.^[1]

In addition, this species is listed on CITES Appendix I, which means that it is threatened with extinction if trade is not halted,^[10] and is a strictly protected species (Appendix II) under the Berne Convention.^[11]

Taxonomy

There is high genetic diversity within samples of V. ursinii and several species may be involved. At least six subspecies may be encountered in modern literature:^[2]

• V. u. ursinii (Bonaparte, 1835)
• V. u. eriwanensis (Reuss, 1933)
• V. u. graeca Nilson & Andrén, 1988
• V. u. macrops Méhely, 1911
• V. u. moldavica Nilson, Andrén & Joger, 1993
• V. u. rakosiensis Méhely, 1893
• V. u. renardi Christoph, 1861

Golay et al. (1993) recognize the first four,^[2] while Mallow et al. (2003) recognize five and list V. eriwanensis and V. renardi as valid species.^[3] However, McDiarmid et al. (1999), and thus ITIS, feel that more definitive data is necessary before any subspecies can be recognized.^[2]

See also

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

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Joger, Ulrich; Crnobrnja Isailovic, Jelka; Vogrin, Milan; Corti, Claudia; Sterijovski, Bogoljub; Westerström, Alexander; Krecsák, László; Pérez Mellado, Valentin; Sá-Sousa, Paulo; Cheylan, Marc; Pleguezuelos, Juan M.; Sindaco, Roberto (2008). "Vipera ursinii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/22997. Retrieved 5 July 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} 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).
3. ^ ^{a b c d} 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.
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Brown JH. 1973. Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73–229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7.
5. ^ "Vipera ursinii". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=635002. Retrieved 19 August 2006. 
6. ^ Bonaparte, Carlo Luciano. 1835. Iconografia della Fauna Italica per le quattro classi degli animali vertebrati, Toma 2. Roma.
7. ^ Arnold, E,N. and J.A. Burton. 1978. A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe. Collins. London. ISBN 0-00-219318-3.
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f} 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.
9. ^ Hellmich, W. 1962. Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe. London, Blandford Press. 160 pp. 68 plates. Translated from Winter, C. 1956. Die Lurche Und Kriechtiere Europas. Universitatsverlag, gegr. 1822, GmbH., Heidelberg, Germany.
10. ^ Vipera ursinii at CITES and United Nations Environment Programme / World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Accessed 8 October 2006.
11. ^ Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Appendix II at Council of Europe. Accessed 9 October 2006.

Further reading

• Golay P, Smith HM, Broadley DG, Dixon JR, McCarthy C, Rage J-C, Schätti B, Toriba M. 1993. Endoglyphs and Other Major Venomous Snakes of the World: A Checklist. Geneva: Azemiops. 498 pp.

External links

• Vipera ursinii at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 2 September 2007.
• Meadow viper (Vipera ursinii) at ARKive. Accessed 5 October 2006.
• Vipera ursinii at Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe. Accessed 9 October 2006.
• Orsini's viper, Vipera ursinii at Reptiles & Amphibians of France. Accessed 30 October 2006.
• Vipera eriwanensis at Checklist of Armenia's Amphibians and Reptiles, Tadevosyan's Herpetological Resources. Accessed 30 March 2007.