It is useful to know what a viper looks like and how it differs from other reptiles, because no one is safe from meeting it. It stands out among other snakes with its short, thick body. Its length can be from 30 cm to 3 m. Weight also varies. There are specimens up to 15 kg. The head is separated from the body by a narrowing in the form of a neck. The front muzzle becomes blunt. There are scaly formations between the nostrils. Some species have such formations above the eyes. The pupils are in the form of vertical slits. In the dark they can expand greatly, so the viper snake can see well even at night.

The common viper belongs to the genus Viperidae and the viper family

Appearance of a snake

The color of snakes can be varied, ranging from almost black to light brown and even red. It is determined by the environment. Thus, in specimens living on trees, a greenish tint predominates. Many individuals have a dark zigzag line running down their back. On the belly side the color is lighter, sometimes there are white spots. The end of the tail may stand out in brightness.

These reptiles overwinter in warm burrows up to 2 m deep. Wintering begins in mid-autumn and ends in spring, after warm weather sets in. The snakes come to the surface and immediately begin to reproduce. They live on average 15 years, sometimes more, up to 30.

The distribution area of ​​vipers in nature is very wide. They can be found in the forest, in the swamp, and in the sands of the desert. They are found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. There are 292 species of vipers.

The common viper belongs to the genus Viperidae and the viper family. It reaches a length of 60-80 cm. It lives mainly in conditions with low temperatures. It is found even at latitudes close to the Arctic Circle. At other latitudes it settles high in the mountains.

In the spring, around mid-April (if spring is early, at the end of March), when the snow has not yet melted everywhere in the forest, waking up from hibernation, male vipers are the first to crawl out of the ground. They are grayish, with dark zigzags along the back. Females are brown-brown in color, with the same pattern on the back. There are also black vipers (usually females) and reddish-brown ones without a zigzag stripe.

So, the males got out and are crawling on sunny places, on the southern slopes of the hills, on dry edges and clearings. Here they bask in the sun for a week or two. (Vipers only in winter shelters, where they go at the end of September - October, gather in a group, sometimes in dozens and even hundreds, and at other times they do not tolerate the close presence of their own kind.)

Then the females appear. The males find them by their scent and, while courting them, quarrel among themselves. And quarrels, especially those dictated by jealousy, lead, as we know, to serious conflicts - duels, fights, wars. For poisonous snakes, all the latter options are excluded, except the first. But duels must also be conducted in compliance with the rules that exclude biting, with non-dangerous, so to speak, techniques (Akimushkin, 1974).

Figure 7 - Mating dance of the common viper

Vipers have approximately the same dueling ritual, war dance, as rattlesnakes. Previously they thought that these were love games between a male and a female. It turned out not: male fighting (Figure 6). They raise their heads in front of each other, swing them in a certain rhythm, intertwine their necks in a power struggle, trying to pin the enemy to the ground, turn them belly up. Bites are almost never inflicted (Akimushkin, 1974).

The mating season is in May, and the offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. The viper is viviparous - the development of eggs and the hatching of cubs occurs in the womb. 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

The number of eggs in the female’s oviduct ranges from 5 to 20, depending on the size of the snake and the conditions of the year. However, up to 20% of the eggs sometimes dissolve (resorb), so that one female often brings 8-12 cubs. As shown latest research, in the walls of the oviducts of the female viper there are many folds, the epithelium of which is very rich in capillary blood vessels. The outer membranes of developing eggs (chorioallantois) are also rich in blood vessels, and gas and water exchange occurs through the thin membranes between the chorioallantois of the egg and the walls of the oviduct. Consequently, in the common viper something like a placenta is formed, and the development of the embryos occurs not only due to the yolk of the egg, but also through circulatory system females.

The period of egg development lasts about 3 months, and young ones are born from the second half of July to early September, mass births of young ones occur in August. In the northern and central parts of the range, females give birth every other year; in the south of the range they breed annually.

The young are born 16.5 cm long. After a few hours or a few days they molt. Until the first moult, they stay close to the place of birth, but when you try to pick them up, they hiss and bite; their bites are poisonous. After the first moult, the vipers crawl away and begin to look for insects, but they can survive without food for several weeks, subsisting on spare parts. nutrients, obtained while still in the egg.

Molting of the young subsequently occurs once or twice a month, depending on the condition of the snake. Signs of shedding in the form of fading color and clouding of the eyes appear about a week before the start. The speed of molting is determined by the state of the body - healthy and strong snakes shed quickly, in just one and a half to two hours, while weak and sick snakes shed up to two weeks. During molting, snakes hide in their shelters, do not feed and are inactive (Bannikov, 1985).

Before their first hibernation in October-November, they never eat, since before hibernation they must digest all the food they eat in order to avoid metabolic problems

Life expectancy can reach 15, and according to some sources, 30 years. However, observations in Sweden indicate that snakes rarely survive after two or three years reproduction, which, taking into account the achievement of sexual maturity, gives a maximum age of 5-7 years

The elongated oval body, devoid of limbs and any outgrowths, does not allow it to diversify its behavior (as, indeed, other snakes); however, there are many noteworthy elements in her everyday actions (not counting dramatic mating tournaments or brutal hunting scenes). The viper can even lie in its favorite place in different ways. While basking in the sun, it is positioned in wide, free waves, while spreading its ribs to the sides, thanks to this the body becomes flat, like a belt, and more sun rays fall on it. In the same way, she lies on a stone that has warmed up during the day, trying to absorb all its warmth. But if something alerts the viper, its body becomes tight and tense, its bends resemble a compressed spring, although the posture remains the same. The snake is ready at any moment to either quietly slide into a secluded place, or make a lunge towards possible prey or an enemy. If she fails to crawl away from danger, she quickly twists into a tight spiral; the whole body is collected into a dense lump, from the center of which the head rises on an S-shaped curved neck, the muzzle is always directed towards danger. Periodically, the snake sharply throws the upper third of its body forward, usually very close - only 10-15 centimeters, but with such energy that this whole ball also moves slightly towards the enemy. At the same time, the viper inflates its body and hisses frighteningly. The snake can lie in a tight ball and, being in a calm state, trying to retain its warmth in cool weather - it is as if it is wrapping itself in its own body. It is important to know that for all its relative (compared to other snakes) slowness, the common viper is a fairly swift and agile animal. There is a widespread misconception that a viper taken by the tail is not capable of biting the hand holding it. In fact, in such an unpleasant position for it, this snake can swing and bend its body very strongly and sometimes it manages to reach the offender. A viper placed in a bag can also bite through the fabric.

In the summer, it sometimes basks in the sun, but mostly hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. The snake is not aggressive and, when a person approaches, tries to use its camouflage coloring as much as possible, or 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.

Congestions of snakes in any place are determined not only by the most favorable conditions for them, but also by the natural need for communication. If vipers were evenly distributed throughout the entire territory suitable for their life, their population density would be so low that they would have to travel considerable distances to meet each other. Snakes living in the same “hotbed” gather in the fall, going to winter, and in the spring, when the mating season begins. In some places, clusters of females bearing offspring are also noted (Orlova, 1999).

Figure 6 - Vipers gathering for the winter

During the winter, vipers fall into torpor (Orlova, 1999). They overwinter in the ground below the frost layer, at a depth of 40 cm to 2 m, most often in burrows of rodents, moles, in the passages of rotten tree roots, in the voids of peat bogs, under haystacks, in rock cracks, etc. (Figure 5). The temperature in wintering areas does not fall below +2...+ 4° C. More often, vipers spend the winter alone or in small groups, but in suitable places Winter concentrations of up to 200-300 snakes are known. After wintering, it appears in March - April, sometimes in May. Males are the first to leave the wintering area on warm sunny days, when there is still a lot of snow in the forest in places. They leave for the winter in the second half of September - October. In spring, vipers stay in well-warmed places, using solar radiation and contact with warm soil, heated stones, fallen trees, stumps, etc. Optimal temperature for males +25° C, for females +28° C. At temperatures above + 37° C, heat rigor and death occur in vipers. (Bannikov, 1977).

Like most members of the family, the common viper often lies in wait for its prey. A snake resting in the sun is at the same time a wary predator. She is almost always ready to eat; obviously, the feeling of fullness is completely unfamiliar to her. When potential prey comes into view, the viper carefully monitors its every movement, remaining completely motionless and usually invisible to the victim. Only when necessary does the snake quietly creep closer to her. It happens that a careless mouse even climbs onto a lying viper, to which the cold-blooded predator does not react in any way until the animal is within reach of its poisonous teeth. It happens that the snake misses in its throw (by the way, this happens with the viper more often than with other snakes), but it usually does not pursue frightened prey, but can patiently wait until the animal calms down and introduces itself to it new opportunity for attack.

The viper easily detects the victim it has poisoned by its scent trail and swallows it slowly. The viper always swallows its usual prey - small mammals - from the head. This process is quite slow; alternately “intercepting” the carcass with the left and right halves of the jaws, the snake periodically moves the lower jaw to the side to inhale a little air. When the prey is already partially in the esophagus, the trunk muscles begin to work: with sharp bends of the body, the snake helps to pull and squeeze the prey into the stomach. Before swallowing, and especially after, you can see how the viper opens its mouth wide and twitches the halves of its jaws, as if yawning. In this way, she puts her jaw apparatus in order (the jaw bones take their original position, the tension of the jaw muscles subsides), since when swallowing an animal several times larger in size than her own head, the jaws stretch monstrously.

After a meal, the viper rubs its muzzle on the ground and surrounding objects, clearing the stuck particles from its mouth. Then it returns to its original place, where it digests food and waits for a new victim. At one time, a snake can swallow three or four mice or frogs, but in nature it rarely succeeds in this, since after the first “portion” it becomes less mobile.

The viper may be more active in searching for prey. She goes hunting at dusk or at night, exploring holes, crevices, spaces under objects lying on the ground and dense thickets. A well-developed sense of smell and, to some extent, vision help her find her food in the dark. In rodent burrows, it often eats helpless cubs or adult animals sleeping there. The smell of the victim plays such an important role for the viper that it can even be “deceived” (which is what is done when feeding these snakes in captivity) by offering it a piece of raw meat with a mouse smell (rubbed with the skin of a mouse or with a drop of its urine). The viper will swallow it as if nothing had happened, although it will not simply eat raw meat.

Vipers digest their prey in two to four days. At this time, they may not crawl to the surface at all, remaining in their shelters - rodent burrows, passages in rotting dead wood, under the trunks of fallen trees.

Animals get the necessary water from food, but sometimes they lick drops of dew or rain.

Common vipers can survive without food for 6-9 months. The ability to fast makes a lot of biological sense. Firstly, snakes fall into forced torpor for the long winter months (although for this purpose they accumulate fat reserves during the summer). Secondly, in natural conditions there is often not enough food for vipers, especially where they consume exclusively the same type of food. For example, on some northern islands, vipers live only at the expense of local populations of voles. However, the number of the latter periodically drops sharply, and then the snakes simply have to starve (Orlova, 1999).

The viper feeds mainly on warm-blooded animals, namely: mice, moles, shrews and birds; however, he does not neglect lizards and other reptiles, and even devours his own children. The viper can endure prolonged starvation without harm, but on occasion it shows amazing gluttony and can swallow, for example, 3 large mice one after another (Bram, 1992).

Young ones usually feed on insects, less often on mollusks and worms (Bannikov, 1977).

In nature, the enemies of vipers are birds of prey and mammals. The defensive posture is a tightly coiled body in a zigzag pattern with the front portion raised. From this position, the hissing and periodically inflating viper makes throws towards the enemy. A caught snake secretes a liquid from its cloaca with a repulsive odor. (Dunaev, 1999)

A symbol of wisdom in the legends and tales of various cultures, the snake traditionally represents both a sophisticated mind and excellent insight, as well as speed of reaction with great destructive power. The lifestyle and habits of the most common venomous snake in middle lane Russia - the common viper - confirm the existing image of this reptile.

Common viper: what is it?

Let's start getting acquainted with this very unusual snake with its description. What does a viper look like? This is a reptile, reaching a length of 0.7-1 m. Males, as a rule, are smaller than females. The viper's head is quite elegant, rounded-triangular with clearly defined scutes - two parietal and one frontal. The nasal opening is located in the center of the anterior shield. The pupil is vertical. The teeth are movable tubular, located in front of the upper jaw. The clear delineation of the head and neck adds grace to this graceful and dangerous creature.

Snake coloring

Nature did not skimp on colors when painting the viper. The many shades of color of the snake are amazing: the gray or sandy-brown back of almost every individual is dotted with intricate patterns of various tones - from light blue, greenish, pink and lilac to terracotta, ashen and dark brown. It is impossible to determine the dominant color, since there are as many color options for the viper as there are individuals. But the distinctive feature of this species is a zigzag or even stripe stretching along the entire back. Usually it is darker, but there are exceptions. Sometimes there are snakes with light stripes
on a dark background. One way or another, this element is a kind of calling card of the animal, warning that it belongs to a very dangerous species - the common viper.

There is an interesting pattern: males are purple, gray or bluish-blue cold in color. Females, on the contrary, are much more brightly colored; their arsenal includes red, yellow, greenish-brown and delicate sand tones. True, black can be worn by both sexes. Moreover, they can be absolutely the same color, without any identifying stripes. However, you can still distinguish them by looking closely: males have small white spots on the upper lip, and the bottom of the tail is also lightened. Females have red, pink and white speckles on the lips and throat, and the lower part of the tail is bright yellow.

The variety of colors of snakes is amazing, and the more surprising is the fact that viper cubs are born completely brown-brown in color with a terracotta zigzag along the back, and changes in the skin begin no earlier than after 5-7 molts, i.e. almost after year after birth.

Snakes and vipers: similarities

Scientific research from past years shows that the main difference between these two species is their habitat. Snakes have always lived next to humans, without fear of such proximity. Vipers never sought to communicate with people. Moreover, if people settled near the habitats of snakes, the outcome for these animals was natural. Currently, due to changes in natural conditions and man-made disasters, much has changed. For example, massive fires drive vipers out of their usual places. Incidents of snakes in gardening communities located near burnt forests have increased significantly. Of course, the appearance of reptiles in crowded places cannot be explained by a change in the snake worldview. Often they simply have nowhere to go, and the differences between snakes and vipers become similarities imposed by circumstances.

Snakes and vipers: differences

There are external differences between these species. The most important thing is that the grass snake has orange-yellow spots on the sides of its head. The coloring also varies - snakes do not have a zigzag pattern on the back. Its body is more elongated from head to tail, by the way, quite long. The viper's tail is short and sharply tapering.

They differ in the shape of their heads and eye pupils. The viper's head is covered with small scutes; the snake's are large. The viper's pupils are vertical, characteristic of a nocturnal reptile. Already is a lover of daytime vigils, and his pupils are round. A person who knows what a viper looks like will have no difficulty distinguishing these animals.

Snake lifestyle

Being predominantly nocturnal, snakes can be active during the day. They can calmly bask in the sun, choosing stones, large hummocks, and smooth clearings. Night is hunting time. The gray viper (common) is an excellent hunter. Quick reaction, accuracy and surprise of the attack leave no chance for mice and frogs that come into her field of vision.

These reptiles mate between mid-May and early June. Being ovoviviparous, vipers bear offspring until mid-late August. The cubs are born as poisonous little snakes up to 15-18 cm long.

Behavior and habits

Immediately after birth, the babies are freed from the egg shell and crawl away. The growth of young vipers is accompanied by constant molting. Having made the transition to independent life, they feed on various insects, and as they grow older they begin to hunt small birds, field mice, lizards, toads and frogs. In turn, the young become victims of large birds of prey and animals. But after 2-3 years, the cubs look the same as a viper looks, i.e., a fully grown individual.

Snakes spend the winter in the soil, burrowing to a depth below the freezing layer. They climb into the holes of moles and voles, grooves from tree roots, deep crevices in rocks and other suitable shelters. Clumps of small groups in one place are often observed. This is how they wait out the cold. Sufficiently severe winters cause torpor in snakes, which lasts up to six months. The lifespan of vipers is about 10-15 years.

Steppe viper

Living in Southern Europe, the steppe viper is a resident of lowland and mountain steppes and is found in Greece, Italy, France and many other European countries, as well as in Altai, Kazakhstan and the Caucasus. This amazing snake can climb mountains to a height of up to 2.5 thousand meters above sea level. What does a steppe viper look like?

It is a large snake up to 0.7 m long. It is distinguished by a slightly elongated head and slightly raised edges of the muzzle. The back of the viper is colored in brown-gray tones, with a light transition to the middle, decorated with a black or brown zigzag stripe along the ridge, sometimes divided into spots. The sides of the body are decorated with a number of vague dark spots, and the upper part of the head is decorated with a black pattern. The abdomen is gray, with light spots. The maximum distribution density of the viper is observed on the steppe plains (up to 6-7 individuals per hectare).

Reproduction

Plains vipers are most active from late March - early April until October. Mating time is April-May. The gestation period is 3-4 months. The female lays from 4 to 24 eggs, from which babies appear in July-August, 10-12 cm long and weighing 3.5 g each. Having reached a body length of 28-30 cm (usually three years after birth), the cubs become sexually mature. Slow on land, the snake is an excellent swimmer and can climb low bushes and trees with amazing speed. Being an excellent hunter, the steppe viper tracks down birds, mice, and does not disdain lizards, grasshoppers and locusts.

In the recent past, the steppe viper was used to obtain snake venom, but barbaric extermination led to a sharp reduction in its number, which stopped this trade. Today, in all European countries, this species is protected as an endangered species under the Berne Convention.

Marsh viper

Russell's viper, chained, or swamp viper is considered the most dangerous of the entire family. This species is found over vast areas of Central and Southeast Asia. Average length This snake is 1.2 m, but occasionally there are individuals whose dimensions exceed one and a half meters.

The head has a somewhat flattened triangular shape. Large eyes dotted with golden veins. Large fangs, reaching 1.6 cm, are a serious threat and excellent protection for the reptile. The back is rough, covered with scales, the belly is smooth.

The body color of the marsh viper is dominated by gray-brown or dirty yellow tones. The back and sides are decorated with rich dark brown spots surrounded by a black ring with a bright yellow or white outer rim. There can be up to 25-30 such elements on the back, increasing as the snake grows. The number of spots on the sides may vary, sometimes they merge into a solid line. There are also dark V-shaped streaks on the sides of the head.

Behavior, nutrition and reproduction of marsh vipers

Ovoviviparous Russell's vipers mate early in the year. Duration
gestation period is 6.5 months. The appearance of cubs, as a rule, occurs in June-July. In one litter there are up to 40 or more baby reptiles with a body length from 2 to 2.6 cm. Immediately after birth, the first moult occurs. Cubs reach sexual maturity at two to three years of age.

Being the most venomous snake found in the Asian region, the chain viper is a dangerous nocturnal predator. She crawls out to hunt as soon as the sun disappears below the horizon. The diet of the swamp viper does not differ from the menu of other representatives of the class and consists of rodents, frogs, birds, scorpions and lizards. For people, this snake poses a mortal danger.

Encounters with snakes

As already mentioned, the viper is a poisonous snake. You need to remember this when going into the forest. True, meeting a person is never part of this creature’s plans; as a rule, it tries to hide as soon as it hears a threatening noise. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to avoid unexpected contacts while walking in the forest, picking mushrooms and berries, in swamps, or while gardening.

Feeling a threat, the viper actively defends itself: it hisses, rushes forward threateningly and makes dangerous bite-throws. Remember: when meeting a snake, it is strictly forbidden to make sudden movements, so as not to provoke an attack by the reptile!

To avoid such an unpleasant encounter, extreme caution must be taken when walking through forest areas where the viper may live. Every person needs to carefully study the photo of this representative of the animal world.

When visiting places of possible encounters with these reptiles, you must have the appropriate equipment. High rubber boots worn on woolen socks provide reliable protection from snake bites; tight trousers tucked into shoes. It’s good to have a long stick with you, which will help you both look for mushrooms and scare the snake. Most likely she will crawl away. Tapping with a stick while moving along the trail will also not be amiss. Vipers are deaf, but are able to perceive the slightest vibration in the ground. Only soft peat or fresh arable land prevents the snake from recognizing the approach of a person in time. Typically, snakebites are not an expression of aggression, but rather a reaction to unexpected or frightening disturbance.

Probably, folk tales and the legends telling about such an amazing creature as the viper (a description of some species is presented in the article) are absolutely right: natural wisdom and endurance help these reptiles survive.

Description

The common viper is usually medium in size - males reach 60 cm, females 70 cm. In the north of the range, rare specimens reach 1 meter in length. The head is separated from the body by a short neck, the muzzle is on top, in front of the line connecting the front edges of the eyes, has 3 large shields (one in the middle and two on the sides), as well as a number of smaller ones. The pupil is vertical. The muzzle is rounded at the end. The nasal opening is cut in the middle of the nasal shield. Coloration varies greatly from gray and bluish to coppery red and black, with a characteristic zigzag pattern on the back along the ridge. In the latter case, the pattern is practically indistinguishable.

Spreading

The range of the common viper includes Europe (Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, France, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, northern Greece, Switzerland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia - the middle and northern regions of the European part) and Asia (Russia - Siberia, the Far East to Sakhalin inclusive; North Korea and northern regions of China). This is the only snake found far north (up to 68° north latitude) due to its poor sensitivity to low temperatures.

Lifestyle

The common viper lives on average 11-12 years. It quickly adapts to any terrain and can live at altitudes up to 3000 meters above sea level. The distribution is uneven depending on the availability of suitable wintering sites. The saddle, as a rule, does not move further than 50-100 meters. The exception is forced migration to a wintering place; in this case, snakes can move up to a distance of 5 km. Wintering usually occurs from October-November to March-April (depending on the climate), for which it chooses a depression in the ground (burrows, crevices, etc.) at a depth of up to 2 meters, where the temperature does not drop below +2... +4 °C. If there is a shortage of such places, several hundred individuals may accumulate in one place, and in the spring they crawl to the surface, which creates the impression of great crowding. Subsequently, the snakes crawl away.

In the summer, it often basks in the sun, the rest of the time it hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. The snake is non-aggressive, and when a person approaches, it tries to use its camouflage coloring as much as possible, or to move away. Only in case of unexpected appearance of a person or in case of 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.

Reproduction

The mating season is in May, and the offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. The viper is viviparous - the eggs develop and the young hatch in the womb. Usually up to 8-12 young individuals appear, depending on the length of the female. 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. Many people believe that only born individuals are more poisonous, but this is not true. It is also not true that young individuals are more aggressive. Just after being born, snakes usually moult. Subsequently, molting of young and adults occurs 1 - 2 times a month. Before their first hibernation in October-November, they never eat, since before hibernation they must digest all the food they eat in order to avoid problems with metabolism.

I

The common viper is deadly poisonous, and its venom is similar to that of rattlesnakes. However, it produces a much smaller amount of poison compared to the latter, and for this reason is considered less dangerous. The bite is rarely fatal. However, a person who is bitten should seek medical attention immediately.

The venom contains high molecular weight proteases with hemorrhagic, hemocoagulating and necrotizing effects and low molecular weight neurotropic cytotoxins. As a result of the bite, hemorrhagic edema, necrosis and hemorrhagic penetration of tissues in the area of ​​​​injection of the poison occur, accompanied by dizziness, lethargy, headache, nausea, and shortness of breath. Subsequently, progressive shock of complex origin, acute anemia, intravascular coagulation, and increased capillary permeability develop. In severe cases, dystrophic changes occur in the liver and kidneys.

In spring, viper venom is more toxic than in summer.

Enemies in nature

The main enemies of the viper in nature are storks, herons, kites, eagles and owls. On the ground are hedgehogs, wild boars, or large rodents. Also, snakes often die under the hooves of cattle in pastures or at the hands of humans, including under the wheels of vehicles.

Notes

Literature

• “Amphibians and reptiles of the USSR”, A. G. Bannikov, I. S. Darevsky, A. K. Rustamov, ed. "Thought", 1971

Links

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2010.

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- (common viper), snake family. vipers. Dl. 60-70 cm, sometimes up to 85 cm. The color is varied - from gray and sand to black tones. A characteristic dark zigzag stripe runs along the back, invisible in black individuals. On the top side... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary

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