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 establishment warm weather. 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.

Unfortunately, there are no universal distinctive features, by which you can distinguish dangerous snakes from non-venomous ones. Therefore, it will be useful for every person, especially those who love nature walks, to learn how to identify the species of snakes living in their region.
There are not many snakes living on the territory of Russia that pose a danger to humans.

The list is headed by the viper, widespread in North Africa and most of the Middle and Far East. On the territory of Russia it can be found in Dagestan. It is not for nothing that biologists classify this large snake as a genus of giant vipers: adult females reach 150 cm long. Males are usually slightly smaller. The snake has a wide triangular head, the muzzle is rounded and blunt when viewed from above.

The head is usually evenly colored, although it may sometimes be marked with a dark V-shaped pattern. Body color can be gray, brown, beige, pinkish, olive. Against this background, a darker pattern is visible - gray, dove, reddish or brown; it can consist of a continuous pattern along the spine or two rows of large spots forming a continuous zigzag line.

This reptile is active both day and night (mainly in hot weather). It can be found both in rocky mountainous areas, and in forests, and in the steppe. She needs only two conditions - a large number of rodents and a pond next door. The viper is capable of making lightning-fast throws the length of its own body, breaking free from the hands of even experienced snake catchers and injecting up to 50 mg upon bite. the most dangerous poison, so it’s better not to mess with her. Snake venom has a strong hemolytic effect: it destroys blood cells and blood vessels. A victim of a viper attack feels weak and dizzy. The bitten limb swells and acquires a purplish-blue tint with foci of necrosis. Here, urgent medical attention is needed, because in case of delay, the probability of death is about 20%.

A smaller, but more common relative of the viper in our latitudes is the viper. The common viper boasts one of the widest habitats among snakes: from the islands of Foggy Albion to the Pacific coast of Asia, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean Sea. These snakes love to live in forests and wetlands. Open glades and slopes ideal for sunbathing are important components of their preferred habitat. The rest of the time they like to hide in the thick grass. Vipers are born 16-18 cm in length and can reach up to 80 cm. The color can be varied: from light gray or brownish with a dark zigzag pattern along the back to completely black. The ventral scutes are black or gray. This snake's head is triangular and its pupils are vertical.

Typically found in the wild they live from 10 to 15 years However, they spend a good half of this period in suspended animation. They usually hibernate from September or October, using abandoned burrows of other animals. One such shelter can contain up to hundreds of vipers. In warm climates, winter sleep time may be reduced. The viper is mainly diurnal, especially in the northern part of its habitat. But the further south you go, the more active it is in the evening and at night.

A viper bite is usually not fatal to an adult, but is dangerous to children and pets. In any case, after a bite you should immediately resort to professional medical care Otherwise, even healthy adults can experience unpleasant effects of exposure to the poison for up to several months.

Symptoms of a viper bite - immediate and strong pain, swelling and tingling sensation. Further symptoms may include nausea, abdominal colic and diarrhea, urinary incontinence, sweating, fever, vasoconstriction, tachycardia, loss of consciousness, temporary blindness, swelling of the face, lips, gums, tongue, and throat. In severe cases, cardiovascular failure may develop. If left untreated, these symptoms may persist for up to 48 hours.

The Caucasian viper, also known as Kaznakov's viper, is a much rarer, but also more dangerous species of viper. It is endemic to the Caucasus, living in Russia, Georgia and Turkey. This snake reaches the length up to 60 cm, the wedge-shaped head is visually different from the neck. Unlike the modest colors of other vipers, the color of the Caucasian viper has pronounced reddish and orange elements. Along the spine there is a wide, black or brown zigzag stripe. Juveniles boast a bright red-brown color, reaching maximum intensity after the first winter. Melanists are very rare.

This species lives on wooded mountain slopes, in wet ravines and on the edges of clearings. On Black Sea coast it emerges from hibernation in March, but at altitudes above 600 m above sea level it appears in the second half of April or early May. Breeds from late March to mid-May. Hibernation begins in early November (for coastal areas), and at the end - beginning of October for high-mountain populations.

The Caucasian viper can live at an altitude of up to 900 meters above sea level. Even higher (up to 3000 meters above sea level) lives a snake similar in appearance and biology, described as a separate species only at the end of the 20th century - Dinnik’s viper.

The snake is active from April - May to November and leaves winter shelter not earlier than the temperature rises above 5-8 C. The consequences of a bite by a steppe viper are similar to the consequences of a bite by a common viper.

Another poisonous snake living in Russia is the common copperhead, also known as Pallas's copperhead. Interesting feature This snake is able to capture the thermal radiation of its prey. It has a dull coloration, grayish or brown, with transverse dark spots along the back and smaller markings on the sides. The tip of the wide muzzle is slightly upturned, and between the nostrils and the eyes of the copperhead there are noticeable indentations: its heat-sensitive organs are located there. Body length is up to 70 cm.

The cottonmouth is found in Central Asia, Northern China, Korea and Mongolia. Within Russia it can be found in the Lower Volga region, Southern Siberia and Far East.

When choosing a place of residence, the copperhead is unpretentious. Forests and steppes, semi-deserts and subalpine meadows, banks and swampy floodplains of rivers are suitable for him. He is also indiscriminate in his daily routine: he can be active both day and night.
The bite of the copperhead is usually not fatal, although it is dangerous if you have heart and kidney problems. Like viper venom, copperhead venom disrupts the circulatory system, but it also contains neurotoxins. It usually causes a rather severe condition that can last a whole week. And the bite wound sometimes does not heal for more than a month.

The copperhead is a snake whose dangers are talked about much more than it deserves. Its habitat extends throughout Europe as far as Western Siberia. It belongs to the order of colubrids, although in appearance it resembles a viper. The color of the copperhead is matte gray, brown or brick-reddish with a dark, sometimes very faint pattern along the back. She usually has a marking on her head that is sometimes described as a "butterfly" or "heart". Another one characteristic- dark stripes running horizontally along the eye line. The pupils of this snake are round, unlike the viper's, and the irises of the eyes may be reddish.

In principle, the copperhead is safe for humans, although it can bite until it bleeds with its front, non-poisonous teeth. The poisonous teeth are located too deep in the mouth, so they are dangerous only for the prey that the copperhead can immediately swallow. In addition, it produces little poison, and it is much less toxic than viper.

What to do if bitten by a snake?

In case of a bite poisonous snake It is best to consult a doctor as soon as possible. Other measures to take:

1. If possible, suck out the poison from the wound, periodically rinsing your mouth with water (this measure is effective during the first 5-10 minutes). Be careful, if there are wounds in your mouth, there is a risk of poison getting into your mouth, do not swallow it under any circumstances!
2. Immobilize the affected part of the body.
3. Remove anything that might put pressure on the limb during swelling.
4. Drink more - this will help remove poison from the body.

You should never do the following:

• Cauterize or widen the wound: as a result of the bite, the poison enters a depth of several centimeters and cannot be gotten rid of in this way.
• Apply a tourniquet: this can lead to necrosis and subsequent amputation.
• Drink alcohol: it will slow down the elimination of poison from the body.
• Drink coffee: its stimulating effect will be unnecessary.

Life expectancy can reach 15, and according to some data, even 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 seems to be wrapped in 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 summer time sometimes it basks in the sun, but for the most part it 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 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 some 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 rocks, 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 its 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 like this important role for the viper, that you can even “deceive” it (which is what they do 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. First of all, snakes are here to stay winter months fall into forced torpor (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 fasting without harm, but on occasion it shows amazing gluttony and can swallow, for example, 3 big 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 predator birds 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)

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

Common viper

Appearance

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

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

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

Habitats and lifestyle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Viper and so on

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

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

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

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

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

What to do if you are bitten

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do they eat

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

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

How do they reproduce?

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

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

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

Types of vipers

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

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

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

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

Snakes: 1 - common blind snake (Typhlops vermicular ts); 2 - common grass snake ( Natrix natrix), 3 - water snake (Natrix tessetata), 4 - Amur snake (Etaphe bchrencki), 5 - leopard snake (Etaphe situta), 6 - arrow snake ( Psammophis lineolatus); 7 — sand f-hole (Echis carinatus); 8 — common boa constrictor, or boa ( Constrictor constrictor), 9 — reticulated python (Python reticulatus); 10 - common anaconda (Eunectes murinus); 11 - Aesculapian snake (Etaphe longissima); 12 - spectacled snake (Naja naja); 13 — bicolor bonito (Pelamys platurus); 14 - viper (Vipera lebettna); 15 - common viper ( Vipera berus); 16 — Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznakowi); 17 - common cottonmouth (Agkistrodon halys); 18 - rattlesnake(Crotalus horridus), 19 - copperhead (Coronella austriaca).

Common viper

The common viper (Viperidae berus) is the most common venomous snake in middle lane Russia. The common viper can be found in forest and forest-steppe zones. It is more often found in mixed forests, in clearings, swamps, overgrown burnt areas, along the banks of rivers, lakes and streams. Distributed in the European part of Russia, in Siberia and the Far East (up to Sakhalin), in the north it is found up to 68° N. latitude, and in the south - up to 40° N. w. In the mountains, the viper is found at altitudes up to 3000 m above sea level. The population density of vipers is very uneven. In suitable places, vipers form large concentrations - snake foci, where their density can reach 90 individuals per 1 hectare, but more often does not exceed 3-8 per 1 hectare. After wintering, they usually appear on the surface of the earth in April - May. In summer, burrows of various animals, voids in rotten stumps and between stones, bushes, and haystacks serve as shelters for vipers. Vipers can live in abandoned buildings. The common viper is a relatively small snake, up to 75 cm long; in the north there are specimens up to 1 m long. The body is relatively thick. Females are usually larger than males. The head is rounded-triangular, clearly demarcated from the neck, on the upper part there are three large (frontal and two parietal) scutes. The pupil is vertical. The tip of the muzzle is rounded, and the nasal opening is cut in the middle of the nasal shield. On the anterior edge of the upper jaw there are large movable tubular poisonous teeth.

The color of the body varies from gray to red-brown, with a characteristic dark zigzag line along the ridge and an X-shaped pattern on the head. Black forms are found in the north.

Some types of vipers: 1 - common, 2 - Caucasian, 3 - long-nosed,
4 - Asia Minor

Mating of vipers occurs from mid-May to early June. The viper is ovoviviparous. Offspring are born in August.

viper egg laying

Young vipers are born 17 cm long and are already poisonous. In the middle zone, vipers are active in daytime. They love to bask in the sun, and can do this right on the path, on stumps, hummocks and stone slabs. They usually hunt at night. They feed mainly on small rodents, frogs, and insects. When meeting a person, a snake usually tries to hide.

When threatened, it takes an active defense: it hisses, makes threatening throws and the most dangerous throws-bites, which are most easily provoked by a moving object. Therefore, it is better not to make sudden movements when directly meeting a viper. You should not pick up a snake by the tail, as there is a possibility of a bite.

Most often, encounters with vipers occur during collection forest berries, mushrooms, dead wood and during haymaking. To protect yourself from a viper bite, you need to be more attentive and careful. When going to places where you can encounter vipers, you must have appropriate clothing and shoes. Protect against snake bites: high boots; thick wool socks; Tight trousers, not tight to the body, tucked into shoes. When picking mushrooms and berries, it is better to use a stick long enough to rake through the thickets near the place where they grow. If there is a snake in this area, it will either reveal itself or crawl away.

It would also be useful to have a stick pointed forward when moving quickly along the path. Vipers have a weak sense of smell and hearing, and the sudden appearance of a person can prevent it from escaping in a timely manner. If you step on a snake, it may bite. You must be especially careful before entering overgrown holes. You should not spend the night near rotten stumps, trees with hollows, at the entrances to burrows or caves, next to heaps of garbage or dead wood. On warm summer nights, snakes are active and may crawl towards the fire. When traveling at night, it is necessary to light the path with a flashlight. The entrance to the tent should be tightly closed so that the snake cannot crawl inside. If the tent has not been tightly closed or if you are camping without a tent, inspect the bed and especially the sleeping bag before using it. Remember that mice attract snakes. At the site of the viper bite, two punctate wounds from the snake’s poisonous teeth are visible.

The bite causes severe increasing pain. Already in the first minutes, hyperemia of the bitten part of the body occurs (excessive filling of blood vessels). Swelling spreads upward from the bite site. When poison enters the bloodstream, a general reaction can develop immediately or half an hour or an hour after the bite. Most often this happens after 15-20 minutes (data from various literary sources). Dizziness, lethargy, headache, nausea, sometimes vomiting, shortness of breath, and rapid pulse appear. According to the mechanism of toxic action, the venom of the common viper is a poison of predominantly hemorrhagic (causing hemorrhage), blood clotting and local edematous-necrotic action. The closer the bite is to the head, the more dangerous it is. In spring, viper venom is more toxic than in summer.

The southern regions of Russia are inhabited by the steppe viper (Viperidae ursini), Caucasian viper (Viperidae kaznakovi) and the common or Pallas's viper (Agkistrodon halys).

Steppe viper

steppe viper

Steppe viper (Vipera ursini) no more than 57 cm long, usually no more than 48 cm. Females are slightly larger than males. On top it is brownish-gray in color with a dark zigzag stripe along the ridge, sometimes broken into separate parts or spots. The sides of the body are covered with dark, blurred spots. The lateral edges of its muzzle are pointed and slightly raised above its upper part. Black steppe vipers are very rare. Distributed in the steppes and forest-steppes of Europe, Kazakhstan, Northwestern China, Turkey and Iran. It rises into the mountains to 2500-2700 m above sea level. Inhabits Various types steppes, sea ​​coasts, shrubs, rocky mountain slopes, meadow floodplains, riverine forests, ravines, semi-deserts and deserts. Agricultural land is avoided and preserved when plowed in bushes, gullies, along roadsides, etc. For this reason, it has almost disappeared in Moldova and Southern Ukraine. Apparently the steppe viper spends the entire cold season in semi-torpor; V warm days comes to the surface in winter. Having left rodent burrows, soil cracks, voids between stones and other shelters where vipers spend the winter alone or in small groups, they spend most of the day in open, unshaded places, basking in the sun's rays. In early or mid-April, steppe vipers mate. Males are very active at this time, they search for females and often catch the eye. They often arrange mating games around one female, just like the males of other snakes. After the mating period, males feed intensively, and when full, like females, they lie for a long time in well-warmed places. At the same time, pregnant females prefer more open areas, which is why they are more often visible to humans. In spring, steppe vipers feed on foot-and-mouth disease and lizards, which make up from 30 to 98% of their diet. By the end of spring, their main prey becomes rodents and insects, rarely frogs and spadefoot moths. Sometimes they catch bird chicks and eggs, including by climbing trees. Viper food is digested within 2-4 days. Steppe vipers apparently begin to reproduce at the age of 3, being from 31 to 35 cm in length. The gestation period is from 90 to 130 days. From early August to mid-September, females give birth to 3 to 16 cubs, 12-18 cm long. Shortly after birth, vipers moult. Adults molt three times a year. Snakes shed at temperatures not lower than 15 degrees Celsius and relative humidity not lower than 35%. In healthy snakes, shedding the old integument takes about 15 minutes. Exhausted and sick snakes shed for a long time, and this process often turns out to be disastrous for them. The lifespan of steppe vipers is about 7-8 years. They have many enemies: owls, black kites, steppe eagles, harriers, crows, storks, badgers, foxes, hedgehogs. The specific enemy of the steppe viper is the lizard snake, which prefers vipers to any other prey and easily deals with them, swallowing them whole, having previously paralyzed them with a bite. One lizard snake is capable of swallowing two or three vipers within an hour. When meeting a person, the steppe viper tends to crawl away and throws its head towards the enemy only when the path to retreat is cut off.

Cases of deaths from the bite of the steppe viper are not reliably known. However, occasionally horses and small livestock die from the bites of this viper.

Lizard snake

The total length reaches 180 cm. The muzzle is somewhat rounded in front. Top surface The body is dark olive in color, without spots. Large individuals have a well-defined dark stripe, bordered along the upper edge by a yellowish dotted line. Young snakes are brown, olive-brown or grayish on top with brown, dark brown or almost black small spots located in the form of well-defined longitudinal stripes. The coloring of young snakes looks variegated due to the contrast of these dark spots with the yellow or white edges of individual scales on the back and sides of the body. With age, the spots on the back and ventral surface of the body disappear, the color of snakes larger than 70 cm is uniform - grayish-olive or brownish-gray with a yellow, spotless belly. In sexually mature males, the color of the front part of the body, the top of the head is olive green, and the rest of the body surface is bluish-gray. The ventral side is pale yellow, the longitudinal pattern or its fragments are preserved on the throat. Females retain dark longitudinal stripes on the sides of the body and a longitudinal pattern on the belly.

Caucasian viper

Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznakowi) very close to the steppe viper, but differs in a denser physique and characteristic bright coloring. Its body is up to 60 cm long. The head is very wide with strongly protruding temporal swellings and a slightly upturned tip of the muzzle. A sharp neck interception separates the head from the thick body. The main color of the body is yellowish-orange or brick-red, and a wide dark brown or zigzag line runs along the ridge. black line. Often this stripe is torn into a number of transversely elongated spots. The head is black on top with individual light spots. Sometimes there are individuals that are entirely black. The Caucasian viper lives in Krasnodar region Russia, the South Caucasus and North-Eastern Turkey. Lives in river valleys, mountain forests, subalpine and alpine meadows, from the Black Sea coast to altitudes of 2500 m above sea level. This snake is most common in the upper forest zone and in subalpine meadows. Its diet consists mainly of mouse-like rodents. There are isolated cases of people dying from the bite of the Caucasian viper. The victims of its bites are often domestic animals.
Attention! If you see a snake adopting a threatening pose, it is best to retreat. Keep in mind: a snake only bites in defense.

When a viper bites, severe and prolonged pain occurs, large swelling at the site of the bite, which quickly spreads to a large surface of the body, severe subcutaneous hemorrhages, drowsiness, fainting, sometimes agitation and convulsions. Death can occur within half an hour, but sometimes much later (a day or more) with symptoms of collapse and respiratory arrest.

Common cottonmouth

Cottonmouths are representatives of pit snakes, which, in addition to the usual sense organs for most terrestrial vertebrates, also have specialized organs that detect thermal radiation.

In addition, unlike vipers, their heads are covered with large scutes, which explains their name. Like vipers, the venom of copperheads acts primarily on the blood and hematopoietic system. However, it also contains neurotoxins that affect nervous system and causing paralysis of the respiratory center. Therefore, the bite of copperhead snakes (as well as other pit snakes) causes a double reaction in victims - damage to both the nervous and circulatory systems. Like vipers, copperheads have backward-curved “folding” poisonous teeth.

His head is wide, the cervical interception is well defined. The tip of the muzzle is slightly upturned. Between the nostril and the eye, a small depression is clearly visible - the opening of the heat-sensitive organ.

By this feature, the copperhead can be easily distinguished from all other snakes.

Its color is dull, usually grayish or brownish. Against this background, there are transverse dark spots on the back and tail. A series of smaller dark spots stretches along the sides of the body. On the head, dark spots form a clear pattern. From the eye to the corner of the mouth, like many snake snakes, there is a dark stripe. The underside of the body is usually whitish or yellowish.

Range of the common copperhead

The common copperhead is very widespread. It is found in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Northern Iran, Northern China, Mongolia and Korea. In Russia, it inhabits the territory from the Lower Volga region through Southern Siberia to the Far East.

The habitats of these snakes are surprisingly diverse. It cannot be said about the copperhead (as about other viper snakes) that it is a forest, steppe or mountain species. It can be found in forests, steppes, semi-deserts, rocky or sandy deserts, and along river banks, and in swampy floodplain valleys, and in subalpine meadows. In the mountains it rises to a height of up to 3000 meters.

Depending on climatic conditions, weather, and the nature of its habitat, the common copperhead can be active during the day or at night, or only at dusk, or both during the day and at night.

What does the common copperhead eat?

He hunts any animal of suitable size for him. First of all, these are a variety of mammals, birds, and lizards. But in the stomachs of copperheads they also found scorpions and spiders, insects (mostly orthoptera - the favorite food of the steppe viper), fish and frogs, as well as snakes. Such animals, which, like the common copperhead, master the most different places habitats, active in different time days and at different weather, feed on all possible foods and are called ecologically flexible. Obviously, it is precisely because of this that the common copperhead is so widespread.

Reproduction of common copperheads

Like many other viper snakes, female copperheads give birth to live young, which are born in translucent shells and are immediately released from them. In the litter of one female there are from 2 to 12 small copperheads, the body length of which is 15-20 centimeters. They are no different in color from adults. The first period of their lives, the cubs feed on invertebrate animals, and then move on to larger prey.

A stink bug bite causes a serious illness in a person, which, however, almost always ends with a complete recovery after five to seven days.

The venom of copperhead snakes, like other viper snakes, is used in pharmacology.

Viper snake

The viper (Vipera lebetina) is a large snake that has a blunt muzzle and sharply protruding temporal corners of the head. The top of the snake's head is covered with ribbed scales, and the supraorbital scales are small - this is distinctive feature Viper from other types of vipers. The thick and short body has a grayish-sandy or reddish-brown color with a number of dark brown or orange spots transversely extended along the back. On the sides of the body there is a number of smaller dark spots. The reptile's head is plain, without a pattern. On the underside of the body, which is painted light gray, there are dark spots. The general color background is very diverse; single-colored individuals are not excluded. The color of the viper depends on its habitat and makes it possible to camouflage itself and become invisible to its prey. Males and females have different body lengths (up to 1.6 m, up to 1.3 m, respectively).

Viper's habitats

The viper is a fairly common type of snake. Their habitat is very extensive: from Central to North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern countries and North-West India. Various subspecies of viper are not uncommon on the islands of Crete, Milos, Kimolos, Polinos and Sifnos. The viper's habitats on the territory of post-Soviet states are Transcaucasia and Eastern Ciscaucasia, Southern Turkmenistan, Southern and Eastern Uzbekistan, Western Tajikistan and the extreme south of Kazakhstan.

Under the name “gyurza” this snake is known in the Caucasus and throughout Central Asia. In other countries, its name is the eastern or Levant viper. In addition, it is known by numerous local names (titles) used by the population. The viper is characterized by fairly similar habitats throughout its vast range of residence. As a rule, these are dry foothills, mountain gorges and slopes covered with sparse bushes, cliffs in river valleys. In the mountains, this snake lives no higher than 1.5 km above sea level. It is not particularly afraid of people, so it does not avoid cultivated lands, banks of irrigation canals, gardens and vineyards, and can also crawl into non-residential or residential premises on the outskirts of villages. She shelters in various quiet, secluded places - burrows of rodents and other small mammals, crevices in rocks, gullies in river cliffs or fences made of stones. Snakes are quite mobile; individuals living on mountain slopes are most susceptible to seasonal migrations. Snakes overwinter in large groups in rock crevices; after wintering, they crawl around the surrounding area.

The summer migration of snakes is associated with temperature conditions- with the beginning summer heat they go down to the foot of the rocks, closer to the water. In August - even lower, to reservoirs, where they quench their thirst and appetite by hunting birds flying to the watering hole.

In the heat, vipers love to swim and also drink large amounts of water. The spring emergence of the first vipers occurs in March - April. At this time they are very passive, waking up after hibernation, basking in the sun not far from their winter homes and do not immediately begin hunting. During this period, vipers are active during the day, and at night they climb into secluded places. With the onset of heat, the lifestyle of snakes also changes; they gradually become active at dusk and then at night. IN summer months Viper is active on the surface at sunset and in the first half of the night. With the onset of autumn coolness, they are again diurnal animals, until they go to winter in October.

Vipers are a large population of snakes. Thus, in a typical habitat you can find up to 4 individuals per 1 hectare, and in August-September Near the water you can count up to 20 specimens per 1 hectare. The young prey on small lizards - geckos and foot-and-mouth disease. In Central Asia, young viper are the most annoying to fast foot-and-mouth disease.

Gyurza nutrition

In the menu of grown up snakes - small mammals (gray hamsters, voles, house mice). Adults easily overcome and eat: gerbils, jerboas, rats, small hares, and amphibians. In small quantities, their menu includes phalanges, small turtles and their eggs. Typically, small animals make up a large portion of a snake's diet.

Certain species of viper often hunt for birds in spring and autumn. At the same time, for some populations of vipers that live in Uzbekistan on the Nuratau ridge, birds during the autumn migration period make up more than 90% of their entire diet. The viper's methods of hunting birds are very diverse - from waiting for feathered prey on bushes and trees to ambushing birds near springs and lying in wait for birds at a watering hole. Their prey is birds ranging in size from a small sparrow to a turtledove, but mostly passerines.

The tactics of snakes living in vineyards are somewhat different. In autumn, snakes crawl onto grape bushes and hide, hiding near a bunch of ripe berries. Flocks of sparrows that fly to pick up grape berries fall into the viper's viper. The snake grabs the bird with lightning speed and does not let it out of its mouth so that the victim does not escape and does not have to climb to the ground after it. After 1 minute, the poison paralyzes the bird, and the snake immediately swallows it and watches for the next careless victim.

Reproduction of the viper

April May - mating season at gyurz. Baby snakes are born in early autumn. However, they are born in different ways. On larger territory During its residence, the viper gives birth to live young (viviparity), and in Central Asia it lays eggs. Their incubation period is up to 40 days. The laid eggs are covered with a thin, translucent shell, and the embryos are quite developed. A thin shell is needed to make it easier for older babies to get out and get enough oxygen. Having made a small hole in the shell of the egg before exiting, the snakes are in no hurry to leave their shelter for more than a day.

The cubs hatched from the eggs are 23–24 cm long and weigh 10–14 g. The total number of eggs in the clutch or newborn snakes is 15–20 pieces. However, there are exceptions; a case was recorded when one large female viper in captivity laid 43 eggs.

Viper behavior

The appearance of the viper - its thick and short body - can mislead an ignorant person into thinking that it is slow and clumsy. In fact, this is quite clever and smart creature: excellent at climbing branches, on the ground capable of quick and unexpected movements, jumping, seeing danger, quickly crawls away and hides. If an obstacle is created that threatens the situation, the viper begins to hiss loudly and threateningly and makes a sharp throw with its whole body towards the enemy. Large snakes They make these throw-jumps over the entire length of their body, so the catcher is forced to quickly react by jumping to the side. Gyurza has an unusually magnificent, powerful and muscular body. It is very difficult to hold a large viper in your hand. The snake tries with all its might not only to wriggle out, but also to sting the offender (catcher), sometimes even biting through its lower jaw.

Viper poison

The bite of the viper is very dangerous for humans. When a snake bites, about 50 mg of venom enters the body, which is very toxic and second in its toxicity only to cobra venom.

Viper's venom contains enzymes that can destroy red blood cells and the walls of blood vessels and cause blood clotting.

Therefore, after a snake bite, numerous internal and subcutaneous hemorrhages appear, small vessels rupture under the influence of the poison, very severe swelling appears in the bite area, large and medium-sized blood vessels become clogged, because blood clotting occurs. All this is accompanied by severe pain, dizziness, and vomiting. If appropriate measures are not taken, the outcome is very unfavorable, even death (up to 10% of cases). Timely and qualified assistance with the use of antidote serum allows you to avoid a fatal outcome from a viper's bite. However, viper venom is widely used in medicine and pharmacology.

Therefore, in the former USSR, special snake nurseries were created, where poison was extracted from snakes. These nurseries were located in Tashkent, Frunz and Termez. Viper were kept there in large quantities. These snakes are hardy, live longer than other reptiles in captivity and produce a relatively large amount of poison, mostly 0.1-0.2 g (dry) per bite (milking). This poison is used to obtain antidote serum and for the manufacture of various medicines. The venom of the viper is unique in its properties and surpasses the venoms of almost all viper snakes. Chemical composition and the properties are very similar to the venom of the chain viper. Scientists have created the drug lebetox from the venom of the viper. necessary for people who have hemophilia (a genetic disease - congenital incoagulability of the blood). This drug is used to treat hemophilia of various etiologies.

In addition, viper venom is used to diagnose various complex diseases, such as: malignant tumors on early stages development and leprosy. Viper venom is widely used in pharmacology; it may contain drugs for lowering blood pressure, pain relief and treatment of bronchial asthma, rheumatic arthritis, radiculitis, and neuralgia. Due to the high value of the venom of the viper, zoologists are studying the habitat of the viper, identifying mass accumulations - snake foci. In such places, snake reserves are created, here snakes are protected, their population serves as a replenishment for snake nurseries, where snake venom is obtained.

A cobra bite is less painful and causes less swelling. Speech and swallowing disorders, blackouts, and paralysis of motor muscles quickly develop. Death can occur within 1-6 hours from paralysis of the respiratory muscles.

First aid for a snake bite.

When bitten by a snake, first of all try to suck the poison out of the wound as quickly as possible, constantly spitting it out. This can be done by the victim himself or by someone nearby. This is not dangerous for the one sucking out the poison. Even if he has wounds or abrasions in his mouth, nothing threatens him, since the effect of any poison depends on the dose per kilogram of body weight. And the amount of poison that can enter the body during suction is so small that it cannot cause harm.

It is not recommended to cut the bite site to allow the venom to escape better. This can lead to infection and often damage to the tendons, which can lead to disability.

After sucking out the poison, you need to limit the victim’s mobility. If a leg is bitten, you need to bandage it to the other, if it’s an arm, then fix it in a bent position. The victim is advised to drink more - water, tea, broth. It is better to abstain from coffee, as it has a stimulating effect.

You can wash the wound with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate and apply cold water to the bite site.

Under no circumstances should a tourniquet be applied! Firstly, it does not prevent the penetration of poison into the overlying tissues, and secondly, the tourniquet, especially with viper and viper bites, pinching the vessels, contributes to even greater metabolic disorders in the tissues of the affected limb. As a result, the processes of necrosis and decay intensify, which is fraught with severe complications.

Cauterization of the bite site is ineffective, because the length of the snake’s poisonous teeth sometimes reaches more than a centimeter. The poison penetrates deep into the tissue, and superficial cauterization is not able to destroy it. And at the site of cauterization, a scab forms, under which suppuration begins.

A person who has been bitten by a snake is strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol. Alcohol is not an antidote, as some believe, but, on the contrary, by making it difficult to remove poison from the body, it enhances its effect.

Remember the main thing - after a snake bite, a person must be taken to a medical facility as quickly as possible, even if it seems that the danger has already passed.

HOME DOCTOR'S RECIPES
For snake bites in the lower part of the body, it is good to take hot baths up to the waist with a decoction of Veronica herb (any type of this plant will do).

Veronica officinalis

For 3 days, apply fresh yeast to the site of the snake bite, changing it every hour. It’s even better to alternate these applications with applications of crushed garlic, changing one to the other every hour.

Pick nettles, crush them with salt, tie them to the wound of snake bites. Change twice a day.

Infuse olive oil with St. John's wort flowers.

St. John's wort

Drink 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day, at the same time wash down with 2 glasses of hot tea from St. John's wort flowers, adding a little vinegar to the tea. Use for 3-4 days for snake bites until the swelling subsides.

Mix 1 part crushed garlic and 4 parts vinegar well and leave in a closed cupboard for 7 days. Lubricate painful areas of scorpion and snake bites - the product protects against many poisons.