Vipera ursinii

Etymology

The specific name or epithet, ursinii, is in honor of Italian naturalist (1788–1870).

Description

Adults of V. ursini average 40 – in total length (including tail), although specimens of 63 – in total length have been reported. Females are larger than males. Although sometimes confused with V. aspis or V. berus, it differs from them in the following characters. The smallest viper in Europe, its body is thick, its head narrow, and its appearance rough. The snout is not upturned. There are always several large scales or plates on the top of the head. The prominently keeled dorsal scales are in only 19 rows, and often dark skin shows between them. It is gray, tan, or yellowish with a dark undulating dorsal stripe, which is edged with black.

Common names

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

• V. u. ursinii – Italian meadow viper.
• V. u. macrops – karst viper, karst adder.
• V. u. rakosiensis – Danubian meadow viper.
• V. renardi – steppe viper, steppe adder, Renard's viper.
• V. u. moldavica – Moldavian meadow viper.

Geographic range

Southeastern France, eastern Austria (extinct), Hungary, central Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, northern and northeastern Republic of Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Romania. The species has likely gone extinct in Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. It is close to extinction in Hungary and a record from southeast Ukraine is questioned.

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis is native to Hungary although the taxonomic status of this subspecies is disputed (see section "Taxonomy")

The type locality is " ...monti dell'Abruzzo prossimi alla provincia d'Ascoli... " (...mountains of Abruzzo near the Province of Ascoli Piceno, Italy...).

Conservation status

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

In addition, this species is listed on CITES Appendix I, which prohibits commercial international trade, and is a strictly protected species (Appendix II) under the Berne Convention.

V. ursinii is the most threatened snake in Europe. At least 12 human activities are threatening these animals:

1. Grazing
2. Mowing
3. Fire
4. Agriculture
5. Roads
6. Constructions
7. Leisure Activities
8. Afforestation
9. Cynegetic species management
10. Persecution
11. Illegal collection
12. Littering

Taxonomy

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

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

Golay et al. (1993) recognize the first four, while Mallow et al. (2003) recognize five and list V. eriwanensis and V. renardi as valid species. However, McDiarmid et al. (1999), and thus ITIS, feel that more definitive data is necessary before any subspecies can be recognized. Presently there are four recognised subspecies of Vipera ursinii. Vipera eriwanensis, Vipera graeca and Vipera renardi are all recognised as distinct species.

Notes

References

References

1. Halpern, B.. (2024). "''Vipera ursinii ''".
2. "Appendices {{!}} CITES".
3. [[:fr:Roy Wallace McDiarmid. McDiarmid RW]], [[Jonathan A. Campbell. Campbell JA]], [[species:T'Shaka A. Touré. Touré TA]] (1999). ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'', Vol. 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. {{ISBN. 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
4. [[species:David Mallow. Mallow D]], [[species:David Ludwig. Ludwig D]], [[species:Göran Nilson. Nilson G]] (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. {{ISBN. 0-89464-877-2.
5. Brown, John Haynes (1973). ''Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes''. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. {{ISBN. 0-398-02808-7.
6. "Orsini's Viper".
7. (2012-07-27). "Phylogeography of the ''Vipera ursinii'' complex (Viperidae): mitochondrial markers reveal an east-west disjunction in the Palaearctic region". Journal of Biogeography.
8. [[Charles Lucien Bonaparte. Bonaparte, Carlo Luciano]] (1835). ''Iconografia della fauna italica per le quattro classi degli animali vertebrati. Tomo 2. Amfibi.'' Rome: Salviucci. pages unnumbered. (''Pelias Ursinii'', new species). (in Italian).
9. [[species:Bo Beolens. Beolens, Bo]]; [[species:Michael Watkins. Watkins, Michael]]; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. {{ISBN. 978-1-4214-0135-5. (''Vipera ursinii'', p. 196).
10. [[:fr:Edwin Nicholas Arnold. Arnold EN]], [[species:John A. Burton. Burton JA]] (1978). ''A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe''. London: Collins. {{ISBN. 0-00-219318-3. (''Vipera ursinii'', pp. 215–217 + Plate 39 + Map 121).
11. [[species:Joshua William Steward. Steward JW]] (1971). ''The Snakes of Europe''. Cranbury, New Jersey: Associated University Press (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press). {{ISBN. 0-8386-1023-4.
12. [[:de:Walter Hellmich. Hellmich W]] (1962). ''Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe''. London: Blandford Press. ''Translated from'' Winter C (1956). ''Die Lurche und Kriechtiere Europas''. Heidelberg, Germany: Universitatsverlag, gegr. 1822, GmbH.
13. (2013-01-31). "Distribution of the genus ''Vipera'' in the western and Central Balkans (Squamata, Serpentes, Viperidae)". Herpetozoa.
14. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150924011847/http://www.ferto-hansag.hu/index.php?pg=menu_2785 Leírás]. Fertő-Hanság Nemzeti Park (Fertő-Hansag National Park of Hungary)
15. [[species:Ulrich Joger. (2009). "''Vipera ursinii ''".
16. link. (2009-08-14 at [http://www.cites.org/ CITES] and [http://www.unep-wcmc.org/ United Nations Environment Programme / World Conservation Monitoring Centre]. Accessed 8 October 2006.)
17. [http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/FR/Treaties/Html/104-2.htm Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Appendix II] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-05-22 at [http://conventions.coe.int/ Council of Europe] {{Webarchive). link. (2015-09-17 . Accessed 9 October 2006.)