Viviparity in a viper. Viper snake: appearance, varieties, reproduction in nature. I wonder what the viper eats

In August 2014, I visited the Nurgush nature reserve, but I never got around to making out the photographs taken there. Recently, while selecting shots for the photo competition “Reserves and National Parks of Russia are 100 Years Old,” I remembered several portraits of snakes from the reserve. In the security zone of the Nurgush nature reserve (the one where access to outsiders is allowed) there is a clearing in which many years ago, even before the formation of the reserve, there was a summer camp for livestock. The remains of which, in the form of a heap of rotten pieces of wood covered with lichen, can still be seen at the edge of the clearing. Snakes loved this place very much. Vipers bask in the sun on wooden debris, among which they can hide in case of danger. No wonder this clearing was nicknamed Zmeina. Even though they look different, they are all the same species - Common viper(lat. Vipera berus). Some of them are light gray in color, with a dark pattern on the back, some are completely black. This is a manifestation of melanism, excessive dark pigmentation. It is easy to distinguish from harmless vipers by the absence of yellow spots in the back of the head, and if you get to know them very closely, the snake has a round pupil, while the viper has a vertical pupil, like a cat’s. But you shouldn’t be afraid of the viper either. For all its poisonousness, it prefers not to be seen by humans and hides at the first danger. Only when driven into a corner or taken by surprise does it hiss and rush threateningly. You should not consider your life over if the worst thing happens - you are bitten by a viper. Over the past half century, there have been almost no deaths from a direct viper bite (except if a small child was stung in the face), more from the consequences of improper treatment (cutting the wound, tightening it with a tourniquet, cauterizing it, and other nonsense). But more on this below.

What does a common viper look like?

This snake is 35-50 cm long. The common viper can be of different colors, but there is one distinguishing feature for all vipers: it is a dark zigzag on the back, from the back of the head to the end of the tail, which is accompanied on each side by a longitudinal row of dark spots. It can be assumed that the main color of vipers is silver, but this is conditional, since there are light gray, yellow, green and brown individuals. In some areas, up to 50% of the population consists of melanistic black vipers. The viper's abdomen is dark gray or even black. The end of the tail is always lighter in color, usually lemon.

The head at the back is noticeably wider than the neck, rather flat, the neck is clearly separated and slightly compressed laterally, the tail is relatively short, noticeably thinner in the last third of its length and ends with a short, hard tip. The male's body is shorter and thinner, and the tail is relatively thicker and longer than that of the female.

Vipers have large, round eyes. Some say that they reflect some kind of deceit and aggression. The color of the iris is usually bright fiery red; in dark females it is light reddish-brown.

Where do vipers live?

The common viper is distributed mosaically in the forest belt of Eurasia from Great Britain, France and northern Italy in the west, to Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula in the east. In Eastern Europe, the viper sometimes penetrates the Arctic Circle - for example, it lives in the Lapland Nature Reserve and on the shores of the Barents Sea. To the east - in Siberia and the Far East - the distribution in many places is limited by the lack of suitable wintering burrows. From the south, the range is limited to steppe regions.

The viper does not have any special preferences in its habitat; it can be found here and there: in forests and deserts, in mountains, meadows, fields, swamps and even in the steppes. The main thing is that there is enough food and light, and for the rest it does not make any special demands. Especially many vipers are found in swampy places. Here they sometimes live in terrifying numbers.

The viper lives in some hole in the soil, under the roots of a tree or between stones, in a hole (from which it first expels the owners), in a crevice in the soil - in general, in some similar shelter, near which there should be a small open place where it I could bask in the sun.

Lifestyle of the common viper

Vipers spend their entire lives (and they live twelve to fifteen years) in the same territory. Distribution is uneven depending on the availability of places suitable for wintering. The saddle, as a rule, does not move further than 60-100 meters. The exception is forced migration to a wintering place; in this case, snakes can move away to a distance of up to 2-5 km. In the summer, it sometimes basks in the sun, but mostly hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. Despite the fact that vipers love light and warmth, it cannot be said that this snake leads a diurnal lifestyle; on the contrary, during the day they are slow, love to bask in the sun’s rays, and with the onset of dusk, vipers become active and crawl out to hunt. Even her eyes are adapted to seeing in the dark: the pupil can expand and contract, which is rare in reptiles.

Vipers feel great at a body temperature of nine to thirty degrees. If the temperature drops below nine or rises above thirty-five degrees, the animal dies. Therefore, the snake is forced to spend the whole day in the shelter, crawling out into the sun several times to bask.

Vipers overwinter in the soil at a depth below the freezing layer, climbing into burrows of moles and rodents, passages of rotten roots of trees and shrubs, deep cracks in rocks and other shelters. Sometimes they accumulate in one place in small groups. Torpor in vipers during hibernation lasts in central Russia for about six months.

The viper has many enemies in nature, for example, owls, foxes, hedgehogs, ferrets, minks and eagles. The greatest danger to the common viper comes from humans, primarily from their economic activities aimed at deforestation and other changes in natural landscapes. Among forest inhabitants, the main enemies of vipers are hedgehogs, which are immune to snake venom. The hedgehog uses the following tactics when attacking: it bites the snake on the body and immediately curls up into a ball, exposing its needles for a retaliatory strike. The procedure is repeated several times until the viper weakens and dies.

What does a viper eat?

The food for vipers consists mainly of warm-blooded animals, especially mice, which the snake prefers to any other food. From the observations of scientists it follows that it catches mice not only on the ground, but also underground. Chicks, especially those birds that nest on the ground, often become victims of the viper. It can also hunt adult birds. She eats frogs and lizards only as a last resort.

The viper lies in wait for its prey and bites it (for example, a forest mouse), and then releases it in order to later find the corpse along the trail, since under the influence of the poison that penetrates the wound, the bitten animal quickly dies.

Vipers are predators from birth. Young snakes catch insects - locusts, beetles, and, less commonly, butterfly caterpillars, ants, slugs and earthworms. In turn, vipers become victims of birds of prey and animals.

Viper breeding

The mating season is in May, and the offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. Mating begins only when spring weather has settled. The number of cubs produced by a female depends on the age of the mother: younger ones have five to six cubs, older ones - 12-14, even 16 cubs.

The viper is viviparous - the development of eggs and the hatching of cubs occurs in the womb. The intrauterine development of viper embryos is very interesting. The walls of the upper shell of the eggs are penetrated by blood vessels, so the embryo feeds on both the yolk of the egg and nutrients dissolved in the mother’s blood. It happens that during childbirth, the female wraps herself around a tree or stump, leaving her tail hanging, “scattering” baby snakes onto the ground, which from the first moment begin an independent life. Juveniles are usually 15-20 cm long and are already poisonous. As they grow, they molt, leaving behind crawling out like snakes.

The Viper is born evil and remains evil for the rest of its life. The little vipers, just hatched from the eggs, hissed and bit angrily when touched. Immediately after birth, each little viper crawls away, and the mother does not pay any attention to the cubs.

Why is a viper dangerous?

Vipers are the most common venomous snakes in central Eurasia. Their bite is dangerous to humans, but not fatal. If a person is not allergic to snake venom, then the bite does not pose a threat to life.

This snake is not aggressive and when a person approaches, it tries to use its camouflage coloring as much as possible, or to crawl away. Only in the event of a person's unexpected appearance or provocation on his part can she try to bite him. This cautious behavior is explained by the fact that it requires a lot of energy to reproduce venom in conditions of changing temperatures.

The viper never attacks a person first; it bites only if it is pursued, grabbed with hands, or stepped on. At the sight of a person, the viper always hurries to crawl away, hide, or lies quietly.

When attacked, the snake curls up and pulls its neck into the middle of the resulting flat circle, so that with each bite it quickly extends it by 15, at most 30 cm. Retraction of the neck is always a sign that the viper wants to bite; immediately after the bite, it quickly retracts its neck again , preparing for the next attack.

When attacking, the viper focuses primarily on lightning speed, rather than accuracy. When attacking, she often misses, but immediately makes the next attempt until she achieves her goal. You have to be careful, as the viper never attacks silently. Even if it is hunting, the snake makes a loud hiss before attacking its prey. This hissing or snorting is made with her mouth closed and is caused by her inhaling and exhaling air more forcefully than usual. When air is exhaled, the sound is strong and low; when air is inhaled, it is weaker and higher.

The viper injects a small amount of poison into the victim. She saves it, since the production of poison is a very energy-intensive process and takes a lot of strength from the snake. The viper has hollow large fangs with a deep groove. The snake injects venom into the victim thanks to a reflex contraction of the temporal muscles that surround the venom-carrying glands.

What to do if you are bitten by a viper

Most often, bites from non-venomous snakes leave only small scratches on the body. The bite of a poisonous snake leaves deep punctures from the teeth, through which the poison is injected. When bitten, the poison can get under the skin, into muscle tissue or into the lumen of a victim’s vessel. A bite into the lumen of a vessel is more severe due to the fact that the poison spreads faster throughout the body causing various disorders. There may be cases when the bite occurs with one fang, as a result of which a smaller dose of poison is injected and the poisoning proceeds more easily.

The viper's venom is hemo- and cytotoxic, that is, it destroys blood and tissue. It contains hyaluronidase and phospholipase and destroys the walls of blood vessels, red blood cells, proteins, and forms blood clots inside the vessels, leading to poor circulation. In addition, the poison disrupts cardiac and liver function, and also disrupts water-mineral balance.

• Hyaluronidase– breaks down connective tissue, destroys the walls of small capillaries, increases the permeability of tissues to water and ions.
• Phospholipase– splitting the lipid layer of red blood cells leads to their destruction (red blood cell hemolysis).

The above enzymes increase the permeability of cell membranes (mast cells) containing biological active substances (histamine, heparin, etc.), which leads to their release and the manifestation of inflammatory and allergic reactions (swelling, redness, pain, itching).

For humans, the bite of a common viper is considered potentially dangerous, but it is extremely rarely fatal. For example, in the UK, only 14 deaths were recorded between 1876 and 2005, the last of which occurred in 1975 (a five-year-old child died from a bite). About 70% of those bitten either experience no symptoms at all or feel a burning pain directly in the area of ​​the bite. Often, redness and swelling develop around the wound - hemorrhagic edema. With a more severe degree of intoxication, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pale skin, increased sweating, chills, and tachycardia are possible within 15-30 minutes. Finally, with particularly increased sensitivity, loss of consciousness, swelling of the face, a significant drop in blood pressure, heavy bleeding (DIC syndrome), renal failure, convulsions or coma may occur. In the vast majority of cases, the consequences of the bite disappear after 2-4 days, but can last for a longer period, up to a year. In particular, improper self-treatment can lead to complications.

As first aid for a bite, doctors recommend calming down, applying a pressure bandage (but not a tourniquet), reducing the load on the limb to the point of immobilization, and ensuring plenty of fluids. Opinions about the benefits of sucking poison from a wound are divided: some experts believe that with this procedure, up to 30-50% of all poison can be removed within 10-15 minutes, others consider it harmful, since bacterial flora can enter the blood along with saliva, causing purulent inflammation. Incorrect and erroneous, but still common methods of treatment include making transverse incisions at the site of the bite, cauterization, applying a tourniquet, and covering with snow.

What to do it is forbidden when bitten by a snake?

You cannot apply a tourniquet. The tourniquet sharply disrupts blood circulation in the bite area and significantly increases the degree of tissue damage. Applying a tourniquet for 20-30 minutes sharply worsens the general condition of the patient. The poison is already necrotizing, and you are also cutting off the blood flow. The end result will be that the arm or leg will have to be amputated.

No cuts allowed, in order for “poisoned blood” to flow out, there is a high probability of damaging a nerve, vessel or tendon, as well as causing an infection. Let me remind you once again - the poison is necrotizing, and so the damage is large-scale. There is no need to worsen the picture. There is no need to do bloodletting either. There is negligible amount of poison in the systemic circulation. And the one that is already causing damage to the circulatory system, and even more bleeding will not lead to anything good.

Can't cauterize bite site.

You can't drink alcohol, this only accelerates the spread of the poison.

You can't chip away bite site novocaine or adrenaline, impairs local blood supply, aggravates tissue damage.

What can be done is to lay the victim down so that the head is lower than the level of the legs. By doing this we will maintain cerebral circulation at a more or less acceptable level. The spread of the poison occurs mainly through the lymphatic vessels and is enhanced by muscle contractions. This means that you need to immobilize the bitten limb, as with fractures. Ideally, you need to immobilize the victim himself and give him plenty of warm and sweet drinks (hot tea is fine). The sooner the bitten person gets to the hospital, the better.

If possible, the most effective way is to administer an antidote. If the victim is injected with a specific serum, the effect of which is aimed at the venom of a specific viper, in the shortest possible time, he will get off with only a slight fright. In the case of vipers, the serum must be administered within the first 30 minutes. Well, an hour is the maximum. When administered after a few hours, its effectiveness will drop significantly, and later there is no point in injecting at all.

Of course, one of the main fears of all our tourists and mushroom pickers. And the fears are not unfounded: in Russia, snakes can be found almost everywhere, and meeting them can be very unpleasant. However, there is no need to panic: death from the bite of a common viper is an exceptional phenomenon.

Common viper (Vipera berus)

The common viper is a small snake, 50-75 cm in length. The color is very different, they usually write that from gray and olive to red-brown, meet also black forms. However, from direct communication with citizens who saw the viper, it turns out that, at least in the Tambov region, the black uniform is main.

Common viper

Along the back there is a dark, clearly visible (except for the black uniform, of course) zigzag pattern. For lack of photos common viper, where the pattern would be visible, as an additional illustration I provide a photo in which it is approximately the same:

Steppe viper (Vipera ursinii) - shown to illustrate the pattern along the back

Lifestyle and habitats of the common viper

The common viper is widespread in forest-steppe zones throughout Europe and Asia, reaching the Arctic Circle in the north. It lives in forests, swamps, as well as in forest plantations and garden plots. It gravitates towards damp places, and therefore is often found along the banks of water bodies. As a rule, the lifestyle is sedentary, tied to the wintering place, for which it uses various cracks in the ground and rodent holes.

Emerges from winter shelters at different times, depending on latitude. Usually - in the spring, in April-May. During this period, large concentrations of snakes can be observed in wintering areas, which then spread out, becoming more evenly distributed.

The common viper feeds on small animals, birds, frogs and lizards.

Reproduction of the common viper

Puberty in a viper occurs at 4-5 years of life, although, according to some data, it depends more on the size of the individual rather than on its age.

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Mating games of vipers begin 2-4 weeks after leaving the winter quarters. During this period, males organize tournaments, usually without bloodshed. Pregnancy lasts 3 months, after which the female gives birth to 5-12 cubs 15-18 cm long.

An interesting feature of viper reproduction is the combined feeding of embryos. Apart from consuming nutrients from the egg yolk, they also receive nutrition through the mother's circulatory system.

The lifespan of the common viper, according to various sources, is from 10 to 15 years. Some unique individuals lived to be 30, but this is the exception.

How dangerous is the common viper?

I am almost sure that most readers have little interest in such details as the method of nutrition of the viper embryo in the womb and the number of cubs in the litter. I believe that all the most pressing issues are in one way or another related to the poisonous properties of the snake, the consequences of the bite and the actions of the victim and his comrades if the bite occurs.

So, the degree of danger of the common viper is medium. Fatalities are extremely rare. However, the consequences of a bite can knock a person out of normal life for a long time, not to mention completely destroy all short-term plans.

The snake itself is non-aggressive and timid; when a person appears (if he is noticed in a timely manner, of course), he immediately disappears. The problem is that the viper is short-sighted and deaf, and at the same time blends well with the substrate, so there is always a chance of suddenly running into it nose to nose.

Steps to prevent a viper bite

If the viper noticed you in a timely manner and began to take threatening poses with a hiss, this is good. In such a situation, you need to very carefully, without sudden movements, without panic, move away from her to a safe distance.

The throw of the common viper is low and rarely reaches the knee, so boots and loose-fitting trousers are highly likely to protect against a bite when stepped on.

When walking through viper-dangerous places, you should not be secretive; when moving and searching for mushrooms, you should actively help yourself with a stick.

Vipers in the camp pose a particular danger. At night they can easily come to warm themselves by the fire, or, even worse, while we are warming ourselves by the fire, they can crawl into a tent and settle comfortably in an unfolded sleeping bag. And in this case, there is a high probability of getting bitten not in the leg, but in some much more dangerous place, so be vigilant! Do not leave the tent open; before climbing into it, check for uninvited guests.

I also can’t help but mention the Hungarian folk “drunken hedgehog method,” which I came across during my search. I quote:

To get rid of snakes, moles, mice, rats, toads and other creatures, Hungarian peasants for many centuries did not know a better remedy than a drunken hedgehog. It was believed that in a state of hangover, a hedgehog becomes even angrier and more merciless towards garden pests and more vigilant
protects the area where it lives from them. Therefore, the peasants placed troughs of beer under almost every bush. Hedgehogs - great lovers of alcohol - did not keep themselves waiting long and gathered in large numbers at the sites.
The peasants locked their dogs in barns and sheepfolds at night so that they would not interfere with the hedgehogs’ work. In the fall, when the harvest was over, Hungary celebrated DAY OF THE DRUNKEN HEDGEHOG, similar to harvest days in other European countries.

What to do if you are bitten by a viper?

The set of actions proposed to us in various sources in this situation is more or less standard, although not without controversial issues.

1. In the first few minutes, try to suck out the poison, squeezing the tissue around the wound and constantly spitting. It is not recommended if you have wounds in the mouth, although in some places it is directly stated that wounds in the mouth are nonsense. You can try to suck out the poison using a jar, however, given its very rapid absorption, by the time the jar/glass/mug/matches/lighter is found, there will be no point in suctioning.
2. Keep the victim immobile.
3. Take something antihistamine.
4. Give plenty of fluids.
5. Take him to a medical facility to administer Anti-Viper serum.

• cauterize
• cut
• apply tourniquets
• Drink alcohol, except for disinfection of the bite site

In fact, the victim will most likely be alone, cellular and radio communications will not work, and the propeller from the only rescue helicopter was cut through by mechanic Sidorov. In addition, the trouble happened just after the route plan was changed, which no one except the victim knows about, so no one knows where to look for him.

On this page, a friend offers an algorithm of actions just in case of such a situation.

So, the bite occurred. Let's start immediately suction of poison, remembering that this measure is effective only in the first minutes after the bite. After 5-10 minutes, we give up trying, take medications (see below) and proceed to rookery equipment, make a fire, put water to boil. All this must be done quickly, because... after an hour and a half, temporary loss of vision and/or consciousness may occur. The author also recommends “taking care of the sewage system” for the period of possible incapacity.

It is assumed that we have in the first aid kit

• syringes,
• novocaine 2%,
• diphenhydramine,
• cordiamin,
• a broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as doxycycline,
• rehydron.

So, we’ve finished the suction, now we take the following measures:

1. We disinfect the bite site.
2. We inject the bite site with novocaine (3-4 injections). If the tumor has already begun to form, prick along the edge.
3. We administer diphenhydramine and cordiamine intramuscularly.
4. We take an antibiotic to prevent possible inflammation and sepsis at the bite site.
5. We bring water with rehydron and drink.
6. We think about good things and wait for the body to cope with the poison. This place is now our home for a few days.

Concerning Anti-viper serum. There is no point in keeping it in the first aid kit, because Firstly, being a protein preparation, it is very sensitive to temperature conditions, which is impossible to observe on a hike, and, Secondly, the body may react to the administration of serum with anaphylactic shock, which under the described conditions is highly likely to lead to death.

Not to mention American rattlesnakes, which have an instant reaction and deadly venom, and an unsuccessful encounter with which has a very high chance of becoming your last. But, nevertheless, among the reptiles that live in our latitudes, the viper is the most dangerous. Speaking of the name of this snake, the word “viper” goes back to ancient times and literally comes from the word “reptile”, which meant disgusting animals, which is the heroine of our article today.

Viper: description, structure, characteristics. What does a viper look like?

Many vipers have a short and thick body. The maximum length of a viper reaches 3-4 meters, while small snakes can be up to 30 cm long. The weight of an adult large viper is approximately 15-17 kg.

All species of vipers also have a flattened, rounded-triangular skull shape with noticeable temporal protrusions. At the tip of the muzzle of some species of this snake there are single or paired formations - the so-called modified scales.

The viper's eyes are small, have vertical pupils that can contract and expand, filling the entire eye. Thanks to this, vipers can see at night just as well as during the day; in general, the vision of these snakes is well developed.

The color of a viper can take on a variety of colors, depending on its species. Also on her body there can be a variety of simple patterns. But in any case, the colors of the viper depend on where it is located and are designed to blend in as much as possible with the surrounding space.

All vipers, however, like other poisonous snakes, have a pair of well-developed fangs, which are also devices for releasing poison. The latter is formed in the poisonous glands that are located behind the upper jaw of the snake. The teeth of a viper can be up to 4 cm in length. When the mouth is closed, they are folded and covered with a special film fabric.

During an attack or defense, the snake's mouth opens at an angle of 180 degrees, the jaw rotates, and the fangs extend forward. When the viper's jaws close, a sharp contraction of the strong muscles surrounding the poisonous glands occurs, resulting in the release of poison, which is more similar to a blow than a bite.

What do vipers eat in the wild?

The viper is a notorious predator, and also leads a nocturnal lifestyle. These snakes prefer to attack their prey from an ambush, quickly biting it with their poisonous fangs; the poison kills the victim within a few minutes, then the viper begins its meal, usually swallowing the prey whole.

The viper's main menu consists of a variety of small rodents, marsh frogs, and some birds. Small vipers feed on large beetles, locusts, and can catch caterpillars and.

Natural enemies of vipers

Vipers also have their own enemies, who, despite the presence of poisonous fangs, are not averse to feasting on this snake. Among them are ferrets, badgers, wild ones (surprisingly, the viper’s venom has no effect on wild boars at all), as well as a number of birds of prey: owls, herons, storks and eagles. And also among the enemies of vipers are vipers, which, although they do not feast on them, often engage in fights with these reptiles, from which they usually emerge victorious.

How long does a viper live?

Typically, the average lifespan of a viper in nature is 15 years, but some specimens can live up to 30 years.

Where does the viper live?

In fact, vipers live not only in our latitudes but also over a much wider geographic range; they can be found in almost any climate and landscape: Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand.

Lifestyle of vipers

Typically, these snakes lead a sedentary lifestyle, only occasionally making forced migrations to wintering areas. Vipers spend most of their time basking in the sun or hiding under stones.

Where and how do vipers winter?

Vipers begin to worry about wintering in October-November. For “winter apartments,” burrows are sought that go up to 2 m into the ground, so that the temperature inside remains above zero. If there are many vipers living in this area, then many individuals can winter in one such hole. In March-April, when the spring sun begins to warm, vipers crawl out of their winter shelters and begin to reproduce.

Viper venom - consequences of the bite and symptoms

The venom of a viper is not as potent as, for example, that of a cobra or a rattlesnake, but in some cases it can be fatal to humans. Therefore, it would not be amiss to remind you once again that you should stay away from the viper, as well as all poisonous snakes in general.

On the other hand, viper venom has found its use for medical purposes; a number of medicines are made from it, and it is also used in the production of cosmetics. According to its chemical structure, viper venom consists of proteins, lipids, peptides, amino acids and salt and sugar of inorganic origin. Preparations from it help as a painkiller for neuralgia, rheumatism, hypertension, and skin diseases.

When bitten, the viper's venom enters the human body through the lymph nodes and from there instantly ends up in the blood. Symptoms of a viper bite: burning pain, there will be redness and swelling around the bite site, as a result of intoxication there will be dizziness, nausea, chills, rapid heartbeat. Needless to say, if you are bitten by a viper, you should immediately seek professional medical help.

Viper bite - first aid

What to do if you are bitten by a viper, and bitten far from civilization (and this most often happens), somewhere in the mountains and forests:

• The first step is to provide rest to the bitten area by securing it with something like a splint, or by tying the bent arm with a scarf. After a bite, it is very undesirable to move actively to avoid the rapid spread of poison throughout the body.
• By pressing your finger at the bite site, you should try to open the wound and suck out the poison. You can do this with your mouth, then spitting out the saliva, but only if there is no damage to the mouth: cracks, scratches, otherwise the poison can enter the blood through the mouth. The poison must be sucked out continuously for 15-20 minutes.
• After this, the bite site must be disinfected with any available means, maybe vodka, cologne, iodine, and a clean and slightly pressure bandage must be applied to it.
• It is advisable to drink as much liquid as possible, water, weak tea, but in no case coffee and certainly nothing alcoholic.
• At the first opportunity, it is imperative to seek qualified medical help from a doctor.

How is it different from a viper?

Very often, vipers are confused with other snakes, for example with the completely harmless snake, which is not surprising, because both snakes are very similar, they have a similar color, and live in the same places. And yet there are a number of differences between them, which we will write about further:

• Despite the similar color, the appearance of these snakes has one significant difference - the grass snake has two yellow or orange spots on its head, while the viper does not have them.
• There is also a difference in the spots on the scales: in snakes the spots are in a checkerboard pattern, while in vipers there is a zigzag stripe on the back that runs along the entire body.
• The eyes of a snake and a viper are different; the viper has a vertical pupil, while the snake has a round pupil.
• Perhaps the most important difference is the presence of poisonous fangs in the viper, which are simply absent in the snake.
• Usually it is longer than a viper, although a large viper may be caught that will be longer than a small snake.
• The snake's tail is longer and thinner, while the viper's tail is short and thick.

Types of vipers, photos and names

In nature, zoologists have counted more than 250 species of vipers, but we will focus on the most interesting of them.

The most common of vipers, living over a wide geographical range, including on the territory of our country, so when hiking in the Carpathian Mountains or simply collecting in the forest, you should carefully look at your feet so as not to accidentally step on this snake. The common viper is usually 60-70 cm long and weighs from 50 to 180 grams. Moreover, females are usually larger than males. The color of common vipers can be different: black, light gray, yellow-brown, depending on where they live.

A characteristic feature of this viper is the presence of a scaly outgrowth at the tip of its muzzle, very similar to a nose. The length of this viper is 60-70 cm, the body color is gray, sandy, or red-brown. This species of viper lives in southern Europe and Asia Minor: Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Georgia.

Steppe viper

It actually lives in the steppes of southern and southeastern Europe, and is also found on the territory of our Ukraine. The length of this snake is 64 cm, the color is gray-brown, and a zigzag stripe runs along the back of the steppe viper.

A characteristic feature of this type of viper is the small horns located above the snake’s eyes. It is 60-80 cm long, its body is creamy-light green in color and dotted with small dark brown spots. The horned keffiyeh lives in southeast Asia, in particular in China, India, and Indonesia.

She is also the Burmese fairy viper; she received her second name thanks to the zoologist Leonard Fea, who studied her. Lives in Asia, China, Tibet, Burma, Vietnam. The length of this viper is 80 cm. It has large scutes on its head, its body is gray-brown with yellow stripes, and its head is completely yellow.

This is perhaps the most dangerous viper in the world; its bite in 4 out of 5 cases leads to death. But fortunately, the noisy viper does not live in our area; it lives exclusively in Africa and the south of the Arabian Peninsula. It has a golden yellow or dark beige color, with a U-shaped pattern running along the body.

This type of viper has a special decoration on its face in the form of vertically protruding scales. The thick body of this snake can reach up to 1.2 m in length, and it is also covered with very beautiful patterns. It lives in the humid forests of equatorial Africa.

Labaria or kaisaya

One of the largest vipers, its length can reach up to 2.5 m. It has a lemon yellow color, due to which it is also called “yellow beard”. This viper lives in South America.

She is also the Levant viper, also one of the most dangerous vipers, its venom in its toxicity is second only to that of the cobra. It is also a very large snake, its body length can reach up to 2 m and weigh up to 3 kg. Body color is usually gray-brown. The Gyurza lives in Asia and North Africa.

This is the smallest viper in the world, and due to its size it is relatively harmless, although, of course, its bite can cause unpleasant consequences. The length of the dwarf viper does not exceed 25 cm. It lives in central Africa.

Bushmaster or surukuku

But this is the opposite, the largest viper in the world, its body length can be up to 4 m and weighs up to 5 kg. Lives in tropical rainforests of Central America.

How do vipers reproduce?

Breeding of vipers usually begins in March-May; with the onset of spring warmth, the mating season of these snakes begins. Viper eggs are formed in the womb of the female, and small snakes hatch there and emerge into the world either in late summer or early autumn. One medium-sized viper usually gives birth to 8-12 babies.

The process of giving birth to new reptiles occurs in an interesting way: a pregnant female wraps her tail around a tree trunk, while holding her tail suspended and simply scatters her cubs on the ground, by the way, already fully formed and ready for independent life. The length of newborn snakes is 10-12 cm, they immediately molt, and subsequently they molt 1-2 times a month.

• In some nations, vipers are even considered sacred, such as the temple keffiyehs on the island of Penang. They are specially taken to the snake temple and hung on trees. Local residents consider vipers to be guardians of the hearth.
• Dried pit viper meat is in demand among Chinese and Japanese gourmets. It is also used in folk healing.

Viper, video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary from the Net Geo Wild channel about vipers.

Many readers know that snake viper belongs to the class of reptiles. But not everyone knows that this family of creeping reptiles has more than 58 species.

The habitats of these creatures are very diverse; for example, they can be found in most of the African continent, in Asia, as well as in most of European territory.

Vipers thrive both in the arid steppes and in the humid climate of the forests of the equator. They can settle on rocky mountain slopes and inhabit northern forests.

Basically, vipers prefer a terrestrial lifestyle, but among their relatives there are often individuals that lead an underground lifestyle hidden from prying eyes. A striking representative of this species can be called earthen viper from the genus Atractaspis.

Ground viper

The main factors for the life of snakes of this family are the availability of food and a sufficient amount of light. They are not so demanding about everything else. Class of vipers, as previously noted, very diverse, but we will talk about four representatives in more detail. So, get acquainted.

The common viper lives throughout the European part of the globe, in parts of Asia, even in the north, right up to the Arctic Circle. She leads a sedentary lifestyle - she does not like frequent changes of habitat.

The snake overwinters in crevices of the ground, in rodent burrows and other secluded places. It usually leaves its winter habitat in mid-spring, but this depends on the geographic location.

The photo shows a common viper

Geography of habitat steppe viper very extensive. It can be found in the steppes of the European zone, especially in the western part. She settled in Eastern Kazakhstan, the steppe regions of the Caucasus and the coast. About vipers Many interesting facts are known, for example, they are capable of performing forced marches to altitudes of up to 3000 m above sea level.

Snakes often choose a certain territory for their habitat, where there are no other representatives of this class besides them. In winter, creeping creatures take refuge underground, and they bury themselves to a decent depth (1.0 meter or more).

Pictured is a steppe viper

But the fact is that even with a slight minus, the snake can die, so these cautious creatures play it safe and go to spend the winter at a depth that can retain heat. Vipers often hibernate in large groups, but can also hibernate alone.

Having awakened from a long winter sleep, with the onset of spring, vipers crawl out of their shelters and find rocky surfaces, where they enjoy sunbathing.

In our country common and steppe viper can be found everywhere and meeting it does not bode well for a person. After all, the venom of large individuals is fatal to humans, not to mention small animals and birds, for which a small amount of the deadly substance is enough to die when bitten. Full-fledged viper bite causes the death of the victim within a few minutes.

The character and lifestyle of the viper

Vipers cannot be called record holders in running, because they are too slow. They are able to spend the entire day lying down without unnecessary movements. But with the onset of twilight, snakes become more active and begin their favorite pastime - hunting.

It should be noted that large individuals can lie motionless for a long time, waiting for the prey to fall into the affected area, and then the viper will not miss the chance to feast on what itself came to it as lunch.

The main distinguishing feature of vipers is that they are fluent in the art of swimming; swimming across a wide river or a fairly large body of water is a breeze for them.

This is probably why vipers can most often be found on the banks of reservoirs, but they also do not disdain swamps, and here they are simply teeming. People often use the phrase “a swamp infested with vipers,” and this is not without common sense.

Vipers love to live in wetlands

Everyone knows that snakes lack limbs, but this does not bother them. After all, they can move freely with the help of their natural plasticity and soft spine. Gracefully wriggling among the stones, the creeping creatures are capable of developing quite a decent speed.

But God did not endow these creatures with good hearing and visual acuity. Snakes completely lack an auditory opening, and their eye sockets are covered with a dense transparent veil. The eyelids of reptiles are fused, and therefore they cannot blink.

It is reliably known that black viper poisonous The only representative of this class does not pose a danger to humans. Signs of a viper: Snakes have two large teeth in which venom accumulates.

Pictured is a black viper

The toxic substance is produced by paired glands located on both sides of the eyes, and they connect to the teeth through ducts. Interestingly, all species have an interesting dental structure. The poisonous fang is located on a bone, which is very mobile.

Therefore, when the snake’s mouth is closed, the tooth takes a horizontal position, but as soon as the creature opens its mouth slightly, the poisonous fang stands up and takes a vertical position.

Common viper. This particular type of snake is considered the most common. This reptile reaches half a meter, but there are also larger specimens, whose length from head to tip of tail is 80 centimeters.

A distinctive feature of the viper is its zigzag pattern.

The structure of her head is triangular, and this part stands out noticeably against her thick body. Nature has endowed vipers with a wide variety of shades - from inconspicuous gray to bright red-brown. There are also black, olive, silver, and bluish vipers.

A characteristic feature of the color is a dark zigzag running along the entire ridge. It is not so often that you can find a viper with dark stripes located across it. On the head of reptiles there is an identifying characteristic mark in the form of the letter V or X.

A clear black stripe runs through the center of the eyes along the entire area of ​​the head. Interesting fact: snake catchers counted the number of scales on the body and found that there were 21 scales around the body in the middle part (rarely 19 or 23).

In principle, the snake will not bite innocent people. Only if an unwary traveler steps on her, then she will give a worthy rebuff. Such snakes are called peace-loving. She will prefer to quickly move away from the place where she can be noticed and hide.

Steppe viper. This species of reptile is much smaller in size than the previous species and an adult, as usual, can rarely reach half a meter. Unlike its relative the common viper, the steppe viper has a pointed, slightly raised snout.

Vipers have poor eyesight, which is compensated by their quick reaction

The nostrils cut through the lower part of the nasal septum. There is a black curving stripe along the entire length of the body and along the ridge. Dark spots appear clearly on the sides. If you turn the reptile onto its back, you can see that its belly is gray with numerous specks of a light shade.

If we compare steppe bite And common viper venom, then the first option will be less dangerous for humans. Gaboon viper. A striking representative of African venomous snakes. This is a truly respectable individual.

The Gaboon viper is found in Africa

Its body is thick - 2.0 meters or more, and the weight of fattened individuals reaches 8-10 kg. The snake is quite remarkable for its bright variegated coloring, which resembles a hand-painted carpet.

The drawings are filled with various geometric shapes of various bright saturated colors - pink, cherry, lemon, milky, blue-black. This snake is recognized as one of the deadliest, but due to the fact that it is very phlegmatic, many believe that it is not as dangerous as everyone thinks about it.

You can pick her up by the tip of her tail without any danger to her health, put her back, and she won’t even want to make a menacing appearance. But teasing a snake is extremely undesirable, because it remains angry for a long time and it is unlikely that you will be able to “conspire” with it.

Among other things, the Gaboon viper has the longest teeth full of poison. Looking at photo of vipers You can see the distinctive features of reptiles.

Snakes are not poisonous representatives of vipers. Distinguish snake from vipers can be seen by the bright orange spots located on the side of the head. In addition, they have round eye pupils, and in the previously described species, and in all others, the pupil is narrowed and located vertically.

Also, this type of snake does not have the characteristic zigzag on its back. Although the coloring of the water snake is very similar to the coloring of the viper, because many people confuse the checkerboard arrangement of spots with the characteristic meander along the ridge.

The photo shows a water snake, which, due to its similar color, is often confused with poisonous vipers

But up close you can see that the spots are interrupted and do not form a continuous zigzag. From the head to the tip of the tail it narrows evenly and a triangular head is unusual for him.

Viper food

By nature, all types of snakes are predators. They are capable of swallowing prey whole, and not only small rodents and birds, but also fairly large animals, such as others. Sometimes the prey is much thicker than the reptile’s body, which does not prevent the snake from swallowing it whole.

The viper is able to perform such actions thanks to the special joints of its jaws. The structure of the lower jaw allows it to stretch forward and then return to its original position.

In addition, the halves of the jaws are connected at the chin and, if necessary, can easily move apart.

The composition of the viper's diet depends on its habitat. Usually for lunch they prefer mice and. But chicks are their favorite food. Small animals, amphibians and lizards are added to this list. It is very interesting to watch the viper when it hunts.

The main prey of steppe vipers are rodents and insects. Being excellent at climbing trees, it is not difficult for them to check the nests of birds, as well as birdhouses, in order to find their favorite delicacy there - chicks. Bird eggs also bring them pleasure. However, this snake loves to pamper itself with a delicacy in the form of small ungulates.

The Gaboon viper is a hunter by nature. It will take a place in an ambush, wait until dusk, and when the warm-blooded animal approaches the required distance, it will pounce and swallow it whole. She loves to eat hares and other inhabitants of her range. She will not disdain to taste the dwarf, which has strayed from the herd.

Reproduction and lifespan

The mating season for snakes occurs in the spring - usually in May. The pregnancy of a viper, like many other reptiles of the reptile class, depends on the weather and lasts from three months to six months. What is most surprising is that sometimes a pregnant snake can even overwinter.

They usually give birth to 10-20 young of their own kind. When born, they immediately inherit poisonousness from their parents. A few hours after birth, the young individuals molt. You can observe an interesting moment during childbirth.

The photo shows the birth of a viviparous snake

The female wraps herself around the tree, and the born cubs fall straight to the ground. The cubs live on the forest floor or in burrows and feed on insects. A snake can begin to reproduce at a fairly advanced age for reptiles - about 5 years. Males become sexually mature at 4 years of age.

The average lifespan of vipers in nature is 10 years. Steppe vipers begin to reproduce at the age of 3. Life expectancy is shorter than that of ordinary vipers, only 7-8 years. The Gaboon viper, like all described species, is viviparous.

Males, like true gentlemen, never bite each other during courtship. The gestation period lasts about 12 months. She is capable of producing from 10 to 40 cubs.

They call it a viper poisonous snake with a short and thick body. This reptile belongs to the viperolidae family, the order of squamates. The word "viper" is directly related to the concept of "reptile". In ancient times, this was the name given to all animals considered disgusting by humans.

Common viper

Appearance

• The body length sometimes reaches two meters, and the weight of the largest individual today is seventeen kilograms.
• Her skull is round-triangular in shape, somewhat thickened on the sides. The snout is blunt, and the temples protrude forward.
• The eyes are small and the pupils are vertical, allowing them to contract or dilate throughout the eye. The roller of scales on the upper eyelid gives the viper an angry and serious appearance.
• Modified scales grow at the tip of the front part of the head. In some vipers, such scales are located above the eye sockets, which is why the snake looks somewhat horned.
• The color of the skin depends on the area in which the viper lives. But they are all painted with intricate designs.

Its color originally provided camouflage for hunting and protection from enemies. Thus, the desert viper is painted in yellow-sand tones with brown ornaments, and the tree viper has greenish skin and completely invisible against the background of leaves.

The pride of any poisonous snake is its fangs, which contain glands with poison. The teeth are usually four centimeters long and are located on the upper jaw. A special feature of the structure of teeth is their mobility in the mouth. They grow on a movable bone that gives them the ability to rotate like on hinges.

Habitats and lifestyle

They live on almost all continents. The largest number of them can be found in Africa, Asia and Europe. The habitats of reptiles are also very diverse. She thrives in wet swamps, arid steppes and hot deserts. A relatively small population of vipers lives in the northern forests, preferring rocky terrain. Hence such a large variety of these snakes.

Usually these reptiles live and crawl on the surface of the earth, but there are also individuals who prefer life underground. Atractaspis, a viper of the genus Stiletto viper, is a representative of underground species.

The most common species is the common steppe. The geography of its habitat includes Asia and Europe. A small population has been spotted in the Far North. But the largest number of steppe vipers live in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The reptile lives in rodent burrows, rock crevices and tree hollows. Leads a sedentary lifestyle, trying not to go far from its usual habitat. Often having overwintered in a hole, it leaves the house and lives in the open air until the cold weather.

To feel comfortable, the reptile tries to choose a territory where it will have no competitors in the search for prey. To do this, the viper can even make a long journey of two or three kilometers.

In order not to die from frost, vipers can burrow one meter or more into the ground. They usually winter in groups, but can also be alone.

As soon as the sun warms the earth in spring, the snake crawls out of its holes and basks with pleasure on the warm stones. At such moments, random people often discover her. Unfortunately, meeting her is not safe and often ends with a snake attack. Viper venom in most cases leads to death.

The length of the steppe viper is slightly less than a meter, and the male is shorter than the female. Her head and the rest of her body are clearly demarcated, which gives her a certain elegance. There are two shields on the muzzle: one parietal and the other frontal. The skull is round oval with a movable upper jaw and the same teeth. The teeth themselves are hollow inside with poisonous glands. During a bite, the venom fills the dental cavities and penetrates through the wound into the victim.

A special feature of the steppe viper is the stripe running along its back. It can be either smooth or zigzag. The skin color is sandy or gray with a bluish pattern. Moreover, males have skin of the following shades: purple, gray or blue. That is, all cool colors. While females are brighter and painted in warm colors: yellow, red, sand and green.

You can also distinguish a male from a female by the following characteristics: the bottom of the tail of males is light, and there are light spots on the lips. Females have bright yellow undertails and red and pink spots on their lips.

Their color does not begin to appear immediately, but only after a year, and reptiles are born all equally brown.

Viper and

Snakes have always lived next to humans while vipers left and still leave as soon as a person settles in the neighborhood. True, recently, due to hopelessness, they, on the contrary, began to be noticed in holiday villages near burnt forests. But it's more likely forced relocation, because forest fires drive forest inhabitants towards people.

Unfortunately, very often people confuse snakes and grass snakes. It can be difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish them, and if they are not nearby, then it is completely impossible. Serpentologists have collected the main signs of difference that can help you:

In order to attack its prey, the viper has to make several lunges. Poor vision prevents her from focusing on the silhouette of the target of attack. In addition, the snake’s venom is formed rather slowly, and it tries to save it and not waste it for any reason. This can play into the hands of the person who encounters the viper. In most cases, it simply crawls to the side.

Upon closer examination, you can notice other differences between the grass snake and its poisonous counterparts. For example, by scales, which in snakes are not divided into two parts like in snakes. There are other signs, but they are not so important when meeting a viper. It will not be possible to notice them quickly, but approaching the unknown reptiles are strictly prohibited.

Snake venom, as already mentioned, is extremely dangerous. Even in a dead viper snake, it retains its properties for a long time. If you are overcome by curiosity and want to pick up a non-living reptile, do not touch its teeth, they are still poisonous. Snakes do not have poisonous teeth at all.

What to do if you are bitten

This poisonous reptile feels the approach of a person with his body. Lying on the ground, vibrations are clearly transmitted to her, by which she understands that they are approaching her. She sees poorly, since her vision radius covers no more than two meters.

It is important to understand that snakes and snakes themselves are not aggressive and people are not of interest to them until they feel danger. Rather, on the contrary, the snake will try to avoid a collision with a person as much as possible.

Snakes spend most of their time in the summer and spring, as well as in early autumn, basking in the sun. To do this, they choose stumps and stones. This behavior of reptiles is no coincidence; with the help of sunlight they stimulate digestion processes. Because of their cold-bloodedness, their metabolic processes are slowed down.

If a bite does occur, adhere to the following rules of conduct:

To prevent this from happening, take care of your own safety. The best way to protect yourself from snake bites is to wear clothing that protects your limbs. Be sure to wear tall boots, thick fabric trousers and wool socks. There should be a stick in your hands.

• Cut the wound to extract the poison.
• Cauterizes and carries out various manipulations other than sucking out the poison.
• Lubricate the wound with iodine or treat it with a manganese solution.

What do they eat

Most often, small rodents become victims of reptile venom. And also, snakes are happy to pass on their small relatives - frogs and lizards. Chicks left unattended or dropped from the nest also become food for vipers.

Baby snakes, due to their small size, are content with eating beetles and caterpillars.

How do they reproduce?

The difference between vipers and other snakes is that she is viviparous. This is a rather rare occurrence among the serpentine order. The cubs mature in the womb and are born in August. The mating season for snakes takes the entire month of May. Childbirth in vipers is very interesting. The female wraps herself around the tree so that her tail hangs down freely. Newborn cubs simply fall to the ground during birth and quickly crawl away. They immediately molt, after which they become poisonous and completely independent.

At one time, up to twenty babies are born to a viper. They will become sexually mature only in the third year of life, and snakes live for about fifteen years. At the end of life, vipers acquire quite impressive sizes.

Active period in snakes comes during the day when they hunt, and after it they bask in the sun while digesting their prey.

Types of vipers

The most common species found in our country are: common viper, steppe viper and Nikolsky viper. Among them, the most common is the common viper.

It can be found in almost all climatic zones. There is no area where a snake could live. Its length is a little more than half a meter. There are black individuals, but most often it is gray with a dark zigzag pattern on the back. Its bite is extremely dangerous.

The steppe snake is slightly smaller in size than an ordinary snake, and its color is distinguished by the presence of brown shades in the ornament. Despite its name, most often steppe the viper can be found in the forests

Nikolsky's viper has a body length reaching eighty centimeters. Its color is dark and practically without patterns. The body in the abdominal area is somewhat expanded, which is why it looks like a barrel.