a brief description of  family

The viper family includes 10 genera distributed throughout Africa, Europe and Asia.
  According to the complexity and perfection of the structure, the viper venomous apparatus (together with pit viper snakes) reaches the highest stage of evolution. Poisonous teeth are usually located horizontally, as if in a supine position and their ends are directed back. Before the bite, the transverse bone extends forward; poisonous fangs sitting on the lower side of the maxillary bone, describing the arc, are advanced and stand upright. Such a mechanism allows vipers to have toxic fangs of considerable length, which can only be placed in a closed mouth in a lying position.
Poison fangs  equipped with a venom channel that opens on the front surface of the tooth near the end. This canal lies deep in the thickness of the tooth, and the front surface of the tooth above the canal is smooth.
  On each maxillary bone there are 1-2 large poisonous canines and, in addition, 3-4 smaller replacement teeth.
  The head of viper snakes is round-triangular in shape, with a blunt nasal end and temporal corners protruding laterally (here are paired poisonous glands). The head is usually separated from the body by a sharp cervical interception; its upper surface is covered with either numerous small scales or small irregularly shaped shields. Bodyvery short and thick, especially in the middle. To the back, it narrows sharply and passes into a short blunt tail.
  The eyes of viper snakes are small, with a vertical pupil. A small cushion, formed by infraorbital scales, usually projects above the eyes.
Coloring  viper is diverse however it is in natural conditions  perfectly hides snakes on the background of the substrate and, thus, are protective.
Food  a variety of animals, primarily small rodents, as well as

Modern snakes are usually divided into 10 families. Three of them are very small and include mainly Asian species. The remaining seven are described below.

Colubridae (already original).

This family includes at least 70% of modern snakes, including two-thirds of European species and 80% living in the United States. The area of \u200b\u200bdistribution of the already common covers all the warm regions of the continents, except Australia, where they are found only in the north and east. They are also abundant on many large islands of the Old World. The largest number of species lives in the tropics and subtropics. Native ones have mastered all the main types of habitats: among them there are terrestrial, aquatic, and arboreal species. Many swim and climb beautifully. Their sizes are from small to medium, and the shape is quite diverse. Some resemble a thin vine, others as thick as large poisonous snakes. Almost all of the original ones are harmless, although several of their poisonous African species pose a serious, if not fatal, danger to humans.

In the United States, this family is represented by snakes (Natrix), garter snakes (Thamnophis), pig snakes (Heterodon), collared snakes (Diadophis), grass snakes (Opheodrys), snails (Coluber), American whip snakes (Masticophis), indigo snakes ), climbing snakes (Elaphe), pine snakes (Pituophis) and royal snakes (Lampropeltis). The first four genera do not have significant economic value. Herbal snakes eat some harmful invertebrates. The rest can be considered useful animals, as they destroy rodents and other mammals that cause economic damage.

Boidae (Pseudopods).

About 2.5% of the species of modern snakes belong to this family, but among the non-toxic representatives of the suborder they are after the most famous ones. Boas are generally considered giant inhabitants. rainforesthowever, many of them have medium and even small sizes, and the habitats are the most diverse - right up to the Central Asian deserts. A small rubber snake (Charina bottae) from this group is widespread in the western United States and is found even in Canada.

All pseudopods kill prey by squeezing it with their bodies, so they are usually called boas. However, strictly speaking, boas constitute only one of two subfamilies, with the vast majority of its representatives living in America. The second subfamily of pseudopods - pythons - unites exclusively the snakes of the Old World. In almost all pseudopods, rudiments of the hind limbs are more or less noticeable - in the form of two small claws at the base of the tail.

This family includes 6 species of the largest snakes in the world; they all live in rainforests. Only the largest specimens pose a threat to humans.

Besides the anaconda and the common boa constrictor (the only giants of this subfamily), it comes  about 4 types of pythons. In Africa, there lives a hieroglyphic (Python sebae) up to 9.7 m long, in South and Southeast Asia - netted (P. reticulatus) up to 10 m long, about the same place - Indian tiger (P. molurus) up to 6 m long, and from the north of Australia to the south of the Philippines and the Solomon Islands, amethyst python (P. amethystinus) is found up to 7 m long.

Typhlopidae (blind snakes, or blind moles) and Leptotyphlopidae (narrow-snakes).

These families include approx. 11% of living snakes. They are blind and harmless. They are often confused with earthwormsbut in dry places they do not perish. Smooth, shiny scales cover their entire body, including reduced eyes. Externally, the representatives of both families are very similar to each other. Both of them are distributed quite widely mainly in the tropics and subtropics, although the range of narrow-snake snakes in the Old World is limited to Africa and Southwest Asia, and in the New World they reach the southwestern United States. The blindfolk live on a much larger part of the Asian continent and are found even in Australia. There are 4–5 times more species in this family than in the previous one. The length of both is usually 15–20 cm, and only a few are noticeably longer, for example, one African species reaches 80 cm.

Viperidae (viper).

This family includes approx. 5% of modern snakes. They are poisonous and widespread across all continents except Australia, where they are unknown.

Of all the snakes, vipers have the most effective way of introducing poison into the victim. Their hollow venomous teeth are longer than those of other venomous species, in the “inoperative” position they are laid under the sky, and at the time of the attack they are pulled out of the mouth like a knife blade. In addition, they are regularly replaced, so their removal does not neutralize the snake for a long time. An adder can strike a single animal at a distance slightly shorter than the length of its own body.

In all vipers of the New World and in many species of the Old, there is a deep fossa on each side of the head with high heat sensitivity, which helps when hunting for warm-blooded prey. Snakes with such thermoreceptors are called pit snakes and sometimes stand out in a special family. They are widespread, although absent in Africa.

Pitfalls are divided into 5 genera, one of which includes a single species - the bushmeister, or surukuk (Lachesis muta), from the tropics of America. About two-thirds of the remaining species belong to the genus Trimeresurus, uniting mainly tropical snakes (keffiyehs and botrops), which are widespread in the New and Old Worlds. Other pitheads are represented by rattlesnakes (Crotalus), pygmy rattles (Sistrurus) and shchitomordniki (Agkistrodon).

Besides rattlesnakes, in the USA, aquatic (A. piscivorus) and copper-headed (A. contortrix) moths inhabit this group. The range of the first is limited by the inland waters of the southeastern plains of the country, and the second is more widespread. Rattlesnakes live in both Northern and South America. In the United States, they are now found in all states except Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii and Maine, although they used to live in the west of the latter.

Elapidae (aspid).

About 7.5% of the species of modern snakes belong to this family. Their relatively short venomous teeth are fixedly fixed on the front of the upper jaw. Bites of large species pose a danger to humans.

Almost all Australian land snakes belong to the aspid, and more than half of the genera of the family are represented on this continent and the percentage of poisonous snakes there is higher than on any other continent. However, the bites of many small Australian species do not threaten death. The most extensive genus of this family - coral aspids (Micrurus) - unites approx. 50 species. Of its representatives, the harlequin coral aspid (M. fulvius) lives in the southeastern United States. The most famous among aspids are cobras (Naja and several other genera) living in Asia and Africa. The Indian cobra, or spectacle snake (Naja naja), which in case of danger raises the front of the body and flatten the neck, spreading the neck ribs apart, is especially effective, so that a wide hood with a pattern resembling pince-nez is formed. In other cobras, this ability is less developed. African mambas (Dendroaspis) have a reputation for being very aggressive snakes. Although some of them are not ferocious at all, all mambas are dangerous because they produce strong poison. Not so well-known are much less aggressive Asian kraits (Bungarus).

Hydrophiidae (sea snakes).

This family includes approx. 2.8% of modern snakes. They inhabit the warm coastal waters from South Asia east to Samoa. One species, the bicolor bonito (Pelamis platurus), swims to Africa and the western coast of North America. Sea snakes are closely related to aspids and produce potent poison, but they are quite slow, so they are not so scary. Most of them are morphologically adapted to the aquatic lifestyle: the nostrils are closed by valves, and the tail is flattened in a vertical plane. Few large individuals reach a length of 0.9–1.5 m, and the maximum length of sea snakes is 2.7 m.

Vipers are the second largest family of species (after aspid) poisonous snakes with perfect venomous apparatus. Representatives of this family are common in the Old and New Worlds - they inhabit Europe, Asia, Southern and North America, Africa (except Madagascar). However, vipers are absent in the Australian zoogeographic subregion, dominated by aspid snakes, including the most dangerous species for humans. Currently, the Viperidae family has 35–40 genera and about 270 species, and 4 subfamilies are distinguished. The two largest of them are pit snakes (Crotalinae - 19 genera and 158 species) and real vipers (Viperinae - about 10 genera and more than 60 species). Pit snakes were often considered as a separate family of Crotalidae.

Among viper snakes, there are both small and medium and large species - the body length varies from 25 cm to 3.65 m. For many of them, the trunk is thick and short (more slender in pitheads), the tail is relatively short. The head is usually wide and clearly demarcated from the neck; eyes are small, with a vertical pupil. The temporal parts of the head are markedly laterally due to the poisonous glands located there. From above, the head of the vipers is covered with small uniform scales or irregularly shaped shields, or large shields of regular shape can be distinguished among small ones (as in the Pelias vipers). The scales of the body usually have sharp longitudinal ribs. A relatively small number of rows of abdominal scutes is the result of a shortened and thickened body of viper snakes.

The color of viper snakes is variable - among the inhabitants of deserts it is sandy brown with a vague pattern; many terrestrial forms are characterized by a bright contrasting color, often with a geometric pattern. Wood vipers are painted green or some other color, helping them to remain invisible among woody vegetation.

On the maxillary bone there are only 1-2 large poisonous teeth with closed canals (tubular, in contrast to grooved in aspids) and, in addition, 3-4 smaller replacement teeth. Small non-toxic teeth are located on the palatine, pterygoid and dental bones. These teeth help the snake push its prey deeper into the mouth when swallowed. The length of poisonous teeth in an ordinary viper is 0.5 cm, in some species of rattlesnakes - 2.5 cm, and in a Gabon one and a half meter viper - 3-4 cm. All vipers are poisonous. Their poisons have a hemolytic effect (affect blood and blood-forming organs). Bitten animals die from blood clotting and numerous hemorrhages in the internal organs. For humans, these snakes also pose a great danger, especially such large species as gyurza and chain viper (in Asia), as well as Asian and American pit viper. Most effective method  the treatment of poisoning by viper snake venoms should recognize the introduction of special serums that are produced in many countries around the world. The poisons of these snakes are used not only for the manufacture of serums, but also for special preparations that are widely used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Most viper snakes are ovoviviparous, but viviparous are also found (a primitive placenta is formed in the common
  vipers - Vipera berus) and egg-laying species.

Pit snakes (Crotalinae) are very similar to vipers, but they are more slender. The name of the subfamily Pit Snake is due to the presence of a fossa located between the nostrils and the eye, with the most sensitive thermoreceptor.

Vipers, especially Asian muzzles, are widely used in oriental medicine along with aspid and distinctive snakes for the preparation of a wide variety of elixirs and tinctures with a wide spectrum of action. In addition, a variety of dishes are prepared from the meat of pit vipers (whether dried or fresh). In the fauna of the former USSR there are 17 species from this family belonging to two subfamilies and four genera, and in Russia - 13 species from three genera.

Genus Shchitomordniki (Gloydius)

Until recently, Asian muzzles were combined into one Asian-American Agkistrodon, which is currently divided into 5 independent genera and the former name was left to large American species.

Shchitomordniki are small and medium sized snakes reaching a length of 80 cm. The head is large and wide, clearly separated from the body by a neck interception, from above it is covered with 9 large shields that form a kind of shield (this is connected with their Russian name). The tip of the muzzle is slightly upturned, the pupil of the eye is vertical. Between the nostrils and the eye is a heat-sensitive fossa characteristic of snakes of the Crotalinae subfamily. Scales of the body with ribs and two apical pores. The caudal flaps are arranged in two rows.

Shchitomordniki have paired tubular poisonous teeth located on a very mobile maxillary bone. The bones of the skull are thin, lightweight, which contributes to a high degree of kinetism.

In the composition of the venom of muzzle, the enzymes characteristic of viper snakes prevail - hemotoxins that act on the hematopoietic system, causing hemorrhages, thrombosis and extensive tissue necrosis. However, in the venom of muzzle and American rattlesnakes, there is also a fraction of neurotoxins acting on nervous systemcausing paralysis of the respiratory center and other nerve nodes.

Shchitomordniki live on the plain and in the mountains, in the steppe and forest areas. Females give birth to live cubs (egg production).

The genus Gloydius includes 10 species and 16 subspecies that inhabit a vast territory from Anterior to East Asia.

In Russia, there are three species of muzzle, distributed from southern Siberia to Khabarovsk Territory  and Southern Primorye in the east. Until now, there is no consensus among experts about the taxonomic status of individual forms.

Genus of giant vipers (Macrovipera)

Representatives of the genus are large poisonous snakes of massive physique, sometimes reaching a length of more than 2 m. A large head, well delimited from the body by neck interception, is covered with small ribbed scales. Enlarged scutes on the head are absent, including large infraorbital, characteristic of other genera of viper snakes. The massive trunk is slightly flattened in the dorso-abdominal direction and is covered with keeled scales. The tail is short, the under-caudal flaps are paired (31-66 pairs), the anal flap is one-piece. Abdominal flaps - 123-187.

Giant vipers live in North Africa, on the eastern islands of the Mediterranean Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North-West India, Central Asia, South Kazakhstan and the Caucasus.

Gyurza and three other species of large vipers belong to this genus: M. deserti from Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya; M. mauritanica from Morocco and the neighboring regions of Algeria and M. schweizeri from the Cyclades islands in the Aegean. In Russia, one species is found - Macrovipera lebetina, which until recently, as a subspecies, included the species of the genus mentioned above. Together with other vipers of the fauna of Russia and the former Soviet Union  they united in the genus Vipera.

They live mainly in arid areas - desert, semi-desert and steppe habitats, often near human dwellings, feed on large rodents and birds. Oviparous forms. Giant vipers pose a serious danger to humans, as their toxic glands produce a lot of poison with hemolytic effects.

Rod viper (Pelias)

Vipers of small and medium sizes, the total length of which does not exceed 90 cm. On the surface of the head of the shield-headed viper, along with small scales, large scutes of the regular shape stand out: frontal, paired parietal and infraorbital. The nasal shield is separated from the intermaxillary by the jaw shield. The body of vipers is covered with heavily ribbed scales. The trunk and tail are relatively short - there are 128-157 abdominal scutes, 21-46 pairs of caudal shields (they are arranged in two rows). Color varies from light gray to bright red. For all vipers of the genus, a dark or black pattern in the form of a zigzag strip along the ridge is characteristic. In some species (common viper), completely black individuals (melanists) are found in different populations in larger or smaller numbers, in other species - single individuals.

All species of this genus are terrestrial forms living on the plain and in the mountains, while the common viper is found even beyond the Arctic Circle. Females give birth to live cubs (egg production). Shield-headed vipers feed mainly on small mammals - rodents and insectivores, as well as birds and lizards. The diet of newborns includes small lizards and orthopterans
  insects.

The venom of shield vipers has a hemolytic effect. Thyroid vipers are common in Europe and North Asia, the Mediterranean and boreal regions of Asia.

The central genus - Vipera, uniting more than 30 species, constantly causes controversy and discussion. In the genus Vipera, there are three subgenera: Asia Minor vipers (Montivipera), shield-headed vipers (Pelias) and Vipera sensu stricto (in the narrow sense).

Only shield vipers are found in Russia, which are often given the status of the subgenus Pelias in the genus Vipera, less often they are considered an independent genus. Of the 19 species in Russia, there are 9. Within the genus, three groups of species are distinguished: a complex of species Pelias berus (common viper), Pelias haznakovi () and Pelias ursinii (steppe viper). There is still no consensus on the taxonomic status of the black forest-steppe and Sakhalin viper (the former is sometimes not even recognized as a subspecies of an ordinary viper, the latter is assigned a subspecies status at best).

Many species of this genus need protection in connection with a reduction in their numbers.

• Class: Reptilia \u003d Reptiles (Reptiles)
• Subclass: Lepidosauria \u003d Lepidosaurs, Scaly Raptor
• Order: Squamata Oppel \u003d Scaled
• Suborder: Serpentes (Ophidia) Linnaeus, 1758 \u003d Snakes
• Family: Viperidae Bonaparte \u003d Viper Snakes, Vipers
• Genus: Cerastes Laurenti \u003d Horned Viper
• Genus: Bitis Gray, 1842 \u003d African Vipers

Family: Viperidae \u003d Viper snakes, vipers

The Viperidae family includes 58 species of snakes distributed throughout Africa, Europe and Asia.

The head of viper snakes is round-triangular in shape with a blunt nasal end and temporally bulging lateral corners where the poisonous glands are located. The shields covering the head are small and almost do not differ from the trunk. The eyes are small with a vertical pupil. A small cushion usually projects above the eyes.

The head of the viper is separated from the body by a sharp cervical interception. The body is very short and thick. To the rear end, it narrows sharply and passes into a short blunt tail.

The color of the viper is diverse. Many steppe and desert species are painted in soft sandy brown tones, forest tropical species have a colorful contrasting color. All these types of coloring, including the green color of tree vipers, are different types of protective color, which makes the snakes invisible on the surrounding background.

Most vipers do not warn the enemy of their presence, taking demonstrative poses, like many aspids, but crawl or hide, trying to go unnoticed. If the adversary comes close, the viper can immediately bite. In the warmer months, vipers are most active at dusk. In the afternoon, most of the time they hide in shelters or bask in the sun. The venom of most vipers compared to the poison of aspids is much less dangerous for humans. Its toxic effect on the body is manifested mainly by a significant local reaction. The danger to life is usually only the bites of large vipers. With proper and timely treatment, and in these cases, deaths are rare.

The most dangerous are the following types of vipers.

The common viper (Vipera berus) is distributed throughout the forest zone of Europe and Asia from the British Isles to Sakhalin and the Shantar Islands, inclusive. Its length does not exceed 75 cm. The color of the top of the body ranges from blue-gray to almost black. On the dorsal side is a dark zigzag strip, not always clearly visible.

To the south, in the forest-steppe and steppe zones, including on the shores of the Black and Caspian seas, a smaller and light-colored steppe viper (V. ursini) is found. The aspis (V. aspis) and sand (V. atmodytes) vipers live on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

The bites of all these vipers are not dangerous to humans. Lethal outcomes make up no more than 0.5%, and with timely and correctly provided first aid, they are completely absent.

The Armenian viper (Vipera xantina), found in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, is slightly more dangerous. Its distinctive feature is a clear pattern of round orange or brown spots with a dark rim, often merging into a wide winding strip along the ridge.

Gyurza (Vipera lebetina) is a large snake, some of its specimens reach a length of 1.6 m. The color of the gyurza can be different. The general brownish background of the upper part of the body with darker spots appearing on it predominates. The underside is light gray with small dark spots.

The distribution area of \u200b\u200bgyurza is very extensive. It is found in many parts of the Mediterranean coast of Africa and on several islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North-West India. On the territory of the USSR it is distributed in the Caucasus and in the southern regions of Central Asia. He;) more often lives in the dry mountains, among the reeds and sparse shrubs, along cliffs and in river valleys. He willingly settles near irrigation canals, on cultivated lands, often penetrates the outskirts of villages. In the summer, it leads a nocturnal lifestyle, in spring and autumn it is active during the day. Often climbs trees, waiting for birds. When approaching a person often hides, which increases the risk of collision with her.

Gyurza bite causes severe poisoning. Without proper medical care, 10% of those affected die.

Sand desert epha (Echis carinatus, Fig. 85) is the most widespread among desert vipers, living in the vast territory of deserts and semi-deserts of North Africa and South Asia, starting from Tunisia to India and Sri Lanka inclusive. In our country, it is found in the southern regions of Central Asia, including the southern coast of the Aral Sea and the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea to the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay. This small snake with an average length of 50-60 cm differs from most vipers in its special speed and mobility. In the most typical cases, the upper part of her body is painted in gray-sand color, at the border of the back and sides there are two light zigzag stripes trimmed from below by an unsharp dark line. Along the back is a series of bright transverse spots. On the head there is a light cruciform pattern.

Efa is perfectly adapted to life in the desert. It quickly moves along the sand in a special, “lateral” way and can dig into it, spreading the grains of sand with subtle transverse body movements. At the same time, it seems that she literally "drowns" in the sand before our eyes. Like many desert snakes, in the hot season, ephs are active at night. With the onset of cooling, they switch to a daily lifestyle. Efa venom has significant toxicity to humans. In the absence of medical care, about 6% of those bitten die.

The most dangerous for humans is the chain viper, or daboya (Vipera russeli, Fig. 86), distributed throughout South and Southeast Asia from India to southern China, as well as in Taiwan, Ceylon, East Java and some other islands. This large thick snake up to 1.5 m long has a very beautiful color. On the back, on a brownish or gray background, there are three rows of well-defined reddish-brown spots surrounded by dark rings with white outer rims. Neighboring spots can merge with each other, forming a chain. There is an arrow-shaped pattern on the head. White stripes run from the eyes to the corners of the mouth.

Chain vipers live both on coasts and in mountainous areas, settle on cultivated lands. They lead a twilight lifestyle, and during the day they hide in the burrows of rodents and in other shelters or bask in the sun. They crawl out onto roads and paths, penetrate houses.

When meeting a person, they are not aggressive, but during provocation they can throw almost the entire length of the body, breaking off the ground.

The danger of a collision with Daboya is reduced due to the fact that a very loud hiss of a snake can be heard at a distance of several meters. Despite this, the chain adder apparently accounts for the majority of all recorded snake bites in India and Indochina.

Daboya venom is highly toxic to humans, and the dose administered by the bite is high, therefore, poisoning is difficult. Without treatment, more than 15% of those affected die.

On the African continent, in addition to the northern coast, African vipers (the genus Bitis) are common. Of the ten species, the most dangerous is the noisy viper (Bitis arietans), large specimens of which reach 1.5 m in length. Its color is brownish or grayish-yellow. Along the back there is a series of light yellow sickle-shaped strips directed with sharp ends forward and bordered in front by wide dark brown stripes. From the eyes to the temples there are two wide bright stripes connected by a light transverse line.

There is a noisy viper in all landscapes except tropical forests and deserts; found in agricultural land, penetrates into buildings. Thanks to its variegated color, it is very difficult to notice against the surrounding background, which increases the risk of contact with it. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. Day sluggish and phlegmatic. Only in case of severe irritation begins to hiss loudly, inflating? the torso, which was the reason for the name "noisy."

The venom of a noisy viper is very toxic to humans.

The largest of the African vipers is the Gabon viper, reaching a length of 2 m. By coloring, it is one of the most beautiful snakes. The upper side surfaces of the body are covered with a pattern of regular geometric shapes  triangular in shape, painted in bright pink, purple, black, white and brown tones. Along the ridge is a series of white or light yellow rectangular spots; the head is light gray with a narrow dark stripe in the middle and two triangular spots on the sides. At the front edge of the muzzle there are two large awl-shaped scales slightly curved back. The dissecting coloring makes the snake completely invisible against a motley background of tropical vegetation. The Gabon viper is found on both the west and east coast of Africa.

Prefers wooded and humid habitats. Gabon viper has a very peaceful disposition and rarely bites. However, poisoning caused by her bites is very difficult and often leads to the death of victims. Wood vipers are common in the tropical forests of Central Africa. These are small, agile, moving snakes about 50-60 cm long, adapted to life on trees. They are painted in various shades of green with yellow spots, due to which they are well camouflaged among the foliage. Their bites applied to the upper body can cause serious poisoning in the victims.

http://www.geocities.com/reptilife/Main_rus.htm

Poisonous viper family snakes have perfectly adapted to existence in any climatic conditions  and landscapes. Vipers live in Europe, Russia, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Vipers do not live only in Australia, New Zealand and other islands of Oceania.

Most vipers lead sedentary image  of life, occasionally making forced migrations to winter habitats, amounting to several kilometers along the way. Vipers spend most of the summer basking in the sun or hiding in the heat under stones twisted by tree roots and in crevices of rocks.

Where and how do viper snakes winter?

Wintering of vipers begins in October-November. For the winter “apartments”, various burrows are selected that go to the ground to a depth of 2 m, where the positive air temperature is maintained. With a high population density, several hundred individuals often accumulate in one burrow. The duration of wintering depends on the range: northern vipers winter for up to 9 months a year, inhabitants of temperate latitudes crawl to the surface in March-April and immediately begin to breed.

Viper venom - snakebite effects and symptoms

Viper venom is considered potentially dangerous to humans, and the bite of some members of the viper family can be fatal and fatal.

Nevertheless, viper venom has found its application, because it is a valuable raw material for the manufacture of medicines and even cosmetics. The poison is a cocktail of proteins, lipids, peptides, amino acids, sugar and salts of inorganic origin. Preparations derived from viper venom are used as a painkiller for neuralgia and rheumatism, for hypertension and skin diseases, for relieving asthma attacks, for inflammatory processes and bleeding.

Viper venom enters the human or animal body through the lymph nodes and instantly enters the bloodstream. The consequences of a viper bite are manifested by burning pain, redness and swelling forms around the wound, which disappear after 2-3 days without any serious consequences. With severe intoxication of the body, the following symptoms appear 15-20 minutes after the bite of the viper: the bitten feels dizzy, nauseous, chills, heart palpitations. With an increased concentration of toxic substances, fainting, convulsions and coma occur.

Viper Bite - First Aid

What to do if a viper has bitten:

• First of all, immediately after the bite of a viper, be sure to provide peace to the bitten organ (usually the limbs) by fixing it with a resemblance of a crib or, for example, simply tying your hand in a bent position with a scarf. Limit any active movement to avoid the rapid spread of viper venom throughout the body.
• An adder’s bite is dangerous and can be fatal to humans, so in any case, regardless of the severity of the victim’s condition, you should call an ambulance!
• While pressing with your fingers at the bite, try to slightly open the wound and suck out the poison. You can do this with your mouth, periodically spitting up saliva, but the method is acceptable only if there are no damages in the form of cracks, scratches or sores on the oral mucosa. You can try to reduce the concentration of poison in the wound using an ordinary glass cup, using it on the principle of setting medical jars. The poison is aspirated continuously for 15-20 minutes.
• Then the place of the viper bite should be disinfected with any improvised means: cologne, vodka, alcohol, iodine, and apply a clean, slightly pressing bandage.
• If possible, it is advisable to take a tablet of an antihistamine to reduce the allergic reaction to viper venom.
• Take as much liquid as possible - weak tea, water, but refuse coffee: this drink increases blood pressure and increases excitability.
• In case of a serious lesion, as a first aid after a viper bite, a person undergoes artificial respiration and a prolonged heart massage.

Sometimes vipers are confused with representatives of the family already ugly - snakes and coppers, which often leads to the killing of innocent animals. There are several signs that distinguish a poisonous snake from a harmless one.

How is it different from a viper? The similarities and differences of snakes

Oh, it's not poisonous snakeThe viper is poisonous and deadly to humans. The similarity between the snake and the viper is obvious: both snakes can have a similar color and can meet a person in the forest, in a meadow or near a pond. And yet these reptiles have certain signs by which they can be distinguished:

• The appearance of the snake and the black viper is different, despite the same skin color. At ordinary snake  there are 2 yellow or orange spots on the head, similar to tiny ears, and the viper has no such marks.

• It is not worth focusing exclusively on the color of snakes, since both snakes and vipers can be similar in color. For example, the color of water snake may be olive, brown or black, with various spots. In addition, the black water snake has no yellow markings on its head, which makes it easy to confuse it with a viper. The viper’s colors can also be olive, black or brown, with a variety of spots scattered throughout the body.

• And yet, if you look closely at the spots, you can see the following difference between snakes: in snakes the spots on the body are staggered, many types of vipers have a zigzag strip on the back, running along the whole body, and there are also spots on the sides of the body.

• Another difference between the snake and the viper is that the pupil of the viper is vertical, it is round in snakes.

• There are sharp teeth in the mouth of the viper, which are clearly visible when the snake opens its mouth. Already, teeth are missing.

• Longer than a viper. The body length of the snake is usually 1-1.3 meters. The length of the viper usually varies between 60-75 cm, although there are species reaching 3-4 meters (bushmeister). In addition, vipers look much more plump.
• The tail of the viper is shorter and thicker; in snakes, it is thinner and longer. In addition, in vipers, the transition from the body to the tail is clearly pronounced.
• Vipers differ from snakes with a triangular shape of the skull with clearly defined superciliary arches, while snakes have an oval-ovoid shape.

• The anus of the viper is one-piece, while the snake consists of 2 scales.
• When meeting with people, the snakes try to retreat and hide, the viper is likely to show complete indifference or aggression if you step on this poisonous snake or just touch it.
• Snows love moist habitats, so they can often be found near ponds where they swim and catch frogs. Vipers feed mainly, so they choose other habitats: forests, steppes, dense grass.

• The viper is a poisonous snake; the copper cone is not poisonous.
• For many vipers, a dark-colored zigzag strip runs along the back, and a pattern of speckles or dark spots is scattered on the back of the coppers. But there are black vipers that have no stripes.

• The head of the viper has a triangular shape with pronounced arches above the eyes. Copperheads have a narrow, elongated head.
• In the mouth of the viper are the teeth with which the snake bites its prey. Coppers have no teeth.
• The pupil of the copperfish is round, while in the viper it is vertically slit-like.

• The anus of the copula consists of a pair of scales, but in the viper it is solid.
• Having noticed a person, the copperfish will hasten to hide in the shelter, the viper will either not pay attention to the person, or will begin the offensive.

• There are teeth in the viper’s mouth and snake, but the venom of the venomous viper is dangerous and can be fatal, while the snake’s bite does not cause pain, but the snake has no poisonous glands.
• In a viper, the head and body are separated by a shortened jumper that imitates the neck; in a snake, there is no cervical interception.
• The back of most vipers is either plain, black, or has a dark strip that zigzags along the entire back. The coloring of the runner can be monophonic, with transverse dark spots on the back or in the net.

• The snake has a distinctive pattern on the top of the skull - a strip of dark color between the eyes, the viper has no such decoration.
• The viper is much shorter and looks more plump snake. The snakes can grow up to 1.5 meters in length, and the standard size of vipers is 60-70 cm. Only the largest vipers have a body length of up to 2 meters.

Types of vipers - photo and description

The modern classification distinguishes 4 subfamilies of vipers:

• pit vipers,they are rattlesnakes or rattlesnakes (Crotalinae): they are distinguished by the presence of 2 infrared pits, which are located in the recess between the eyes and nostrils;
• viper toads(Causinae): they are an oviparous type of snake, which is rare among all members of the family;
• vipers(Viperinae) - the largest subfamily, whose representatives live even in the conditions of the Arctic (common viper);
• azemiopinae- the subfamily represented by a single genus and species is the Burmese viper-fairy.

Today, science knows 292 types of vipers. Below are several varieties of these snakes:

• Common viper ( Vipera berus)

a relatively small representative of the family: the body length is usually in the range of 60-70 cm, however, individuals more than 90 cm long are found in the northern part of the range. The weight of the viper varies from 50 to 180 grams, with the females slightly larger than the males. The head is large, slightly flattened, the muzzle is rounded. The color is quite variable and multifaceted: the color of the main background of the back is black, light gray, yellow-brown, reddish-brown, bright copper. In most specimens, a pronounced pattern in the form of a zigzag strip passes along the back. The abdomen of the viper is gray, brown-gray or black, sometimes supplemented with whitish spots. The tip of the tail is often colored bright yellow, reddish or orange. This type of viper has a fairly wide habitat. The common viper lives in the forest belt of Eurasia - it occurs from the territories of Great Britain and France to the western regions of Italy and the east of Korea. He feels comfortable in the hot Greece, Turkey and Albania, while penetrating the Arctic Circle - found in Lapland and in countries on the coast of the Barents Sea. On the territory of Russia, an ordinary viper lives in Siberia, Transbaikalia and the Far East.

• Nosed viper(Vipera ammodytes)

differs from other species in the soft, sharp, scaly outgrowth on the tip of the muzzle, resembling a snub nose. The viper is 60-70 cm long (sometimes 90 cm). Body color - gray, sand or red-brown (depending on the type), along the back there is a zigzag dark strip or a series of stripes in the form of rhombuses. The viper is nosed on stony landscapes from Italy, Serbia and Croatia to Turkey, Syria and Georgia.

• Steppe Viper (Western Steppe Viper) ( Vipera ursinii )

a poisonous snake that lives in the plains and mountain steppes, in alpine meadows, in ravines and semi-deserts. Steppe vipers are found in countries of southern and southeastern Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Albania), Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia (in the Caucasus, southern Siberia, Rostov Region, Altai). The length of the viper with the tail reaches 64 cm, the females are larger than the males. The coloring of the snake is brownish-gray; a dark brown or black zigzag strip passes along the ridge. Dark spots are scattered on the sides of the body.

• Horned keffiyeh(Trimeresurus cornutus, Protobothrops cornutus)

stands out among the congeners by small horns located above the eyes. The body of the viper up to 60-80 cm long is painted in a cream-green color and dotted with dark brown spots. The snake spends almost its entire life on trees and shrubs, descending to the ground only for mating. The horned keffiyeh is a typical inhabitant of the south and southeast of Asia, lives in China, India and Indonesia.

• Burmese Viper Fairy, or chinese viper(Azemiops feae)

oviparous species, a rarity among vipers. It got its name not because of the fabulous character, but in honor of the zoologist Leonardo Fea. The length of the viper is about 80 cm. On the head of the snake grow large, like snakes, shields. The top of the body is greenish-brown in color, the bottom is creamy, the head is most often yellow, yellow stripes pass along the sides. It is found in Central Asia in southeast Tibet, in Burma, China and Vietnam.

• Noisy viper(Bitis arietans)

one of the most beautiful and most dangerous species of African vipers. A bite of a viper noisy in 4 out of 5 cases is fatal. The snake got its name for the indignant hiss published in case of danger. The body of the viper is disproportionately thick with a girth of up to 40 cm and a length of about 2 m. The color of the viper can be golden yellow, dark beige or red-brown. Along the body there is a drawing consisting of 2 dozen brown marks in the form of the Latin letter U. A noisy viper lives throughout Africa (except for the equator), as well as in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula.

• (Bitis nasicornis)

differs by a special decoration on the face, consisting of 2-3 vertically protruding scales. The body is thick, can reach a length of 1.2 m, and is covered with a beautiful pattern. Blue trapezium patterns with a yellow border, connected by black rhombs, pass along the back. The sides are covered with black triangles, alternating with olive-colored diamonds with a red border. The head of the viper with bright blue “cheeks” is covered with black arrows with a yellow trim. He prefers to settle in the moist, swampy forests of Equatorial Africa.

• Kaisaka, or labaria (Bothrops atrox)

the largest viper of the spearhead genus, growing up to 2.5 m in length. A distinctive feature of kaisaki is the lemon-yellow color of the chin, due to which the snake was nicknamed “yellow beard”. A slender body is covered with gray or brown skin with a diamond-shaped pattern on the back. Kaisaka lives throughout Central America, Argentina and the coastal islands of South America.

• Rhombic rattlesnake(Crotalus adamanteus)

record holder among rattlesnakes by the number of “milk yield” of poison (660 mg from one snake). A large viper can grow over 2 m in length and weigh more than 15 kg. Along the back, painted in brown tones, runs a series of 24-35 black, with a diamond shine of rhombuses with a light yellow border. This viper lives only in the USA: from Florida to New Orleans.

• Gyurza,or   Levantine Viper(Macrovipera lebetina)

the most dangerous and poisonous viper, the poison of which is second only to poison in toxicity. Refers to the ovipositing type of snakes. The body length of an adult gyurza can reach 2 meters, the weight of a viper is 3 kg. Body color is gray-brown, with dark spotting, subject to variability within the range. Some individuals are distinguished by a black body with a purple tint. Viper is widespread in dry foothill areas, as well as on the outskirts of large cities in North-West Africa, Asia, Transcaucasia, Dagestan and Kazakhstan.

• Dwarf African Viper ( Bitis peringueyi)

the smallest viper in the world, the body length of an adult does not exceed 20-25 cm. Due to the modest size of the body, it is a relatively safe type of viper that lives in the deserts of Namibia and Angola.

• Bushmeisteror   surukuku ( Lachesis muta)

the biggest viper in the world rare viewreaching a length of 3-4 meters with a body weight of 3 to 5 kg. Inhabits wet rainforests  South and Central America.