Common viper - description of where it lives, features

An ordinary viper is a type of poisonous snake that can often be found not only in the forest-steppe strip, but even in a summer cottage, in a pond, or on the porch of your own house. These reptiles belong to the family of vipers and are considered a species of snakes from the genus of real vipers.

Photo: Niklas Banowski

The common viper is not afraid of low temperatures, so this species of snakes can often be found in highlands and distant northern regions. Its habitats extend on the map from Western Europe to the Far East. The nature of the common viper is very aggressive, often attacks a person, protecting his territory or offspring.

Fact! The common viper is often confused with the usual snake, which poses no danger to humans.

The appearance of the snake

This reptile has an average body size. As a rule, the size of an ordinary viper depends on its breeding sites. The largest representatives of this species live in the region in the North of Europe. In the Scandinavian lands, these snakes can grow up to 1 meter. In the north-west of Europe in England and in the north of France, these reptiles have a shorter trunk up to 80-85 cm. In other habitats, ordinary vipers can have a trunk up to 55-60 cm in length. Typically, a female viper is slightly larger than a male of this species. The weight of this reptile can range from 50 to 100 grams. The largest individuals can lead up to 180 g.

The head of the snake is large, has a flat shape, its surface is covered with small scales. On the head there are plates that perform the function of protecting the eyes, crown and front of the snake snout. The head of the reptile is separated from the rest of the body by a barely visible neck. The viper does not have very large eyes with ocular scales, the vertical pupil is clearly visible. Appearance gives the viper an awesome look. Females have significantly smaller eyes, and males have more. On the face you can see the nasal plate or nasal opening. The upper jaw of the snake is very mobile, endowed with two large poisonous fangs and several small teeth. The body of the viper goes into a small tail with a blunt end that resembles a comma.

Mother Nature generously endowed this variety of snakes with various colors and shades. In addition to the most typical gray body color in males and brown in females, other color shades of vipers are found in the wild. The color of the reptile's body can have a dark brown, black, copper red, silver, beige yellow or olive brown hue. The surface of the body of these snakes often has natural patterns in the form of stripes, spots and zigzag patterns. Less commonly, these reptiles have a solid color. However, against the background of a dark shade of the body, it is often impossible to consider a zigzag pattern. Dark marks in the form of a natural ornament are visible in the upper part of the head of the reptile. Dark streaks extend from the sides of the head to the corners of the snake's mouth.

Where the common viper lives

Typically, these reptiles are selected for breeding on the outskirts of marshy places, hiding in forest clearings, burnt grass, live in glades among mixed and coniferous forests, mossy places on the banks of rivers and ponds. A snake of this species has spread up to 3,000 meters above sea level. As a rule, these vipers lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not like to move from their places of residence further than a hundred meters. Only during the search for wintering, with the beginning of migrations in the spring or autumn, can these snakes cross rivers and creep distances of up to five kilometers. Often, a viper can be found in a forested area, in a basement in a country house or in a rural house, in abandoned buildings, in a garden, in rural areas.

Lifestyle and behavior

Photo: Niklas Banowski

By its nature, this reptile is inactive, moves slowly, has a calm character. She can be called a homebody. In the summer, the snake likes to lie under the rays of the sun, and spends the whole day in a secluded place away from prying eyes. Often reptiles look for a warm place on warmed stones, under stumps or fallen trees, in a rocky crevice among the rocks.

If you carefully observe this snake, you can note some characteristic features in the behavior of the reptile. If the snake lies and relaxes warmly in the sun, then it pushes toward the ribs, while the body becomes flat with a wavy surface. However, if the reptile is on the watchman, then it becomes tense, the body stretches, outwardly it resembles a tight compressed lump in the form of a spiral. If the enemy met in the path of the reptile, the snake with a quick movement, like a spring, raises the upper body. To frighten the enemy, she inflates her body, hissing eerily. This dense ball creeps smoothly in the direction of a source of danger for self-defense.

To survive the winter, vipers find shelter in the burrows of rodents or crevices. They crawl underground to a depth of two meters. In such a shelter during the wintering period, the temperature can vary from 3 to 4 degrees of heat. Very often, several representatives of this family winter in such minks to warm each other. If early spring comes and snow melts, then snakes can crawl to the surface to bask in the sun. If several dozens of representatives of the species winter at once in the mink, then a large moving ball is shown on the surface.

The viper’s most active life cycle is from March to April. The males crawl out first to bask in the sunshine from the winter shelter, and only when the air warms above 24 ° C does the viper crawl out of the hole. During the period of winter sleep, up to 15% of adults and 40% of young individuals die in nature.

The life span of this snake in the wild under favorable conditions can reach from 12 to 15 years. Moreover, in the nursery and specialized terrariums, ordinary vipers can live from 20 to 30 years. The longevity of snakes in such conditions is explained by the fact that reptiles receive constant nutrition, they are protected from attacks by enemies, the microclimate and timely medical assistance of veterinarians are also favorable.

Enemies

Despite its toxicity, in the wild, the viper has many potential enemies. A reptile can be a dinner for hedgehogs, wild boars, owls, eagles and other birds of prey. If the reptile met in the way of a person, then he most often tries to kill a snake for self-defense.

Nutrition

Photo: Niklas Banowski

When hunting, these reptiles creep out at nightfall. The diet of these snakes includes mice, frogs, and also feeds on lizards, newts, salamanders, hatched chicks and bird eggs. The menu of vipers depends on the territory of their habitat. Young individuals feed on worms, spiders and frogs. As they grow, after the body of the viper reaches 30 cm, young snakes move to a more adult diet.With the onset of cold weather, these reptiles fall into hibernation, which lasts from 150 to 180 days. But in the coldest northern latitudes, the hibernation of a viper can stretch to nine months.

The venom of an ordinary viper

It is believed that reptiles have practically no hearing, so snakes do not leave their territory when a person appears. However, the entire body of the viper is very susceptible to various vibrations. If a person steps on soft, for example, peaty soil, then the reptile senses the movement of the earth with its whole body. When a person is in the way of a viper, she considers him an enemy, and quickly attacks in order to defend herself. Her protective instincts are triggered, this explains the behavior of the snake during an attack on a person.

It is generally accepted that the viper is not able to bite through the dense fabric of jeans or shoes. However, people should still avoid the habitats of this poisonous snake. If an ordinary viper nevertheless attacked a person, then its bite is not considered fatal. A bitten person will soon recover. However, the bite of this snake can be very painful and dangerous to health. After a bite, swelling appears on the surface of the wound, then acute anemia occurs, the patient appears dizzy, headache, severe weakness and progressive shock. The blood inside the vessels begins to coagulate, changes occur in the body - in the tissues of the liver and kidneys. The victim must be taken to the hospital for medical care.

There are times when victims of a snakebite cannot consult a doctor on time for help, so experienced tourists recommend taking special serum with them on such dangerous trips. To neutralize the poison of the viper, the patient should introduce the serum "Anti-Viper" or its analogue under the skin. The required therapeutic dose is 150 AU. Before administering subcutaneously serum against viper venom, the victim must take 1 or 2 tablets of the drug Prednisolone or any antihistamine, such as Suprastin or Tavegil. These medications will help the patient cope with an allergic reaction in the body. If the victims do not have a “miraculous” serum with them, then it is necessary to lay the patient and constantly give him to drink a lot of water. Alcohol in such cases is prohibited. It is also not recommended to suck out the poison from the wound, because a person may have invisible damage to the oral cavity. After that you need to immediately call an ambulance.

Video: Viper (Vipera berus)