Where do steppe vipers live? Steppe viper. Global Threatened Category on the IUCN Red List

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Type Chordata - Chordata
Class Reptiles
squad Scaly - Squamata
Family Viper family - Viperidae.
View Steppe viper - Pelias renardi (Christoph, 1861)

Status. 3 "Rare" - 3, RD.

Global Threat Category on the IUCN Red List

Not included in the IUCN Red List.

Category according to IUCN Red List criteria

The regional population is classified as Near Threatened, NT. B. S. Tuniev.

Belonging to the objects of international agreements and conventions ratified by the Russian Federation

Do not belong.

Brief morphological description

The length of the body with tail reaches 635 mm at ♂ and 735 mm at ♀. Two color variants have been noted: cryptic and melanistic. Cryptic (typical) coloration is represented by various variants of gray and brown colors with a dark brown or black zigzag stripe on the back. Melanistic individuals in the region represent approximately a fifth of the population, although in some groups the number of melanists can reach 44%.

Spreading

The global range covers the steppe and semi-desert zones of South-Eastern Europe, Kazakhstan and Central Asia. In the Russian Federation it is found from the Volga-Kama region in the north to the Ciscaucasia in the south and Altai in the east. Regional range covers flat part and the foothills north of the line Anapa - Abrau-Dyurso - Novorossiysk - Abinsk - Goryachiy Klyuch - Khadyzhensk - Psebay. Type area: Sarepta, Lower Volga(Russia).

Features of biology and ecology

The steppe viper is found on plains of various types (loess, alluvial-loess, terraced), on hills in the lower mountains. Inhabits forest edges, shrub associations, shiblyaks, steppe slopes. In the southeast of the range in the region it rises up to 1000 m above sea level. sea, capable of living on sandy sea spits.

In the conditions of an anthropogenic landscape, it forms strip settlements along inaccessible and waste areas, forest plantations, etc. They appear from wintering grounds in March, activity continues until the first days of November, average duration Viper activity in the region is 230 days. In spring and autumn, vipers are active during the day; in July–August, double-peak activity was observed.

The diet includes invertebrates and vertebrates. Mating occurs en masse in April. The birth of young takes place from the end of June to the first days of September. In broods, from 3 to 18 individuals were noted.

Number and its trends

In the vicinity of the village of Raevskaya, there were 2–3 individuals of the steppe viper per 2 km of the route, on the ridge. Gerpegem - 2 individuals per 1 km, in the vicinity of Saratovskaya station - up to 4 individuals per 1 hectare, on Yasenskaya Spit - 5 individuals per 1 km. The maximum population density in the region is 30 individuals per 1 hectare with an average density of 11 individuals. per 1 ha.

Limiting factors

The transformation of steppe and forest-steppe landscapes and direct destruction by humans have led to a reduction in the number and range of the species

Necessary and additional security measures

Organization of micro-reserves in dense habitats of the species.

Information sources. 1. Ananyeva et al., 2004; 2. Ostrovskikh, 1997; 3. Ostrovskikh, 2003; 4. Ostrovskikh, Plotnikov, 2003a; 5. Ostrovskikh, Plotnikov, 2003b; 6. Unpublished data from the compilers. Compiled by B. S. Tuniev, S. B. Tuniev. BIRD class - Aves

Cited literature: classification - https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

It is common in all European countries, where there are forest-steppes, in Ukraine it can be found in the Black Sea region and Crimea, and in Russia - in the European part of steppes and forest-steppes, in the foothills North Caucasus. This snake also lives in Asia: in Kazakhstan, Southern Siberia, and Altai. However, due to active plowing of the land, the population of this reptile species has noticeably decreased, and in European countries the animal is protected. In Ukraine and Russia, the reptile is listed in the national Red Books.

The steppe viper is a rather distinctive animal, and it is difficult to confuse it with a grass snake or a non-venomous snake. The size of the reptile is from 55 to 63 centimeters, with females being larger than males. This species is distinguished from other snakes by some raised edges of the muzzle, which gives it the appearance of a “bared grin.” On the sides the scales are painted in gray-brown tones, and the back is lighter with a clear zigzag stripe running along the ridge. A dark pattern is also visible on the forehead. The abdomen is light, with gray spots.

These reptiles wake up from hibernation depending on climatic conditions, when the temperature is set at least seven degrees Celsius. And in April or May they have mating season. In spring and autumn, the snake comes out of its shelter only in the warmest time of the day, and in summer it can be seen in the morning and evening hours. What do snakes of this species eat? Small rodents, chicks, but the main diet consists of insects, mainly fatty locusts. Therefore, the animal is considered useful for Agriculture. The reptile does not disdain lizards either. In turn, the reptile serves as food for others. It is also devoured by a larger lizard snake.

The steppe viper is viviparous. In August, the female brings from three to ten baby snakes in one litter. Newborns weigh about 4 grams with a body length of 11-13 centimeters. Little vipers reach sexual maturity only in the third year of life, when they grow to 27-30 centimeters. Young animals quite often, adults less often, change their skin. To do this, snakes climb into a crevice and begin to rub against stones until cracks appear at their lips. After which the individual crawls out of the skin, as if from an old stocking.

In Russia, including snakes, for the most part they are not dangerous. But vipers in this sense are an exception. However, rumors about the dangers of their poison are somewhat exaggerated. An encounter with this snake can be fatal for a small animal, such as a dog, but not for a person. Its bite is quite painful. In its place, swelling rapidly develops, which spreads far beyond the affected foot. Hemorrhagic blisters and even necrotic areas may form. The person bitten experiences dizziness, increased heart rate, drowsiness, nausea, decreased general temperature bodies.

If you or your companion are bitten by a steppe viper, you must provide first aid to the victim as quickly as possible. To do this, you need to wrap a cloth twisted into a tourniquet around the area of ​​the body above the bite. Mostly snakes sting in the foot (sometimes in the hand, when a person accidentally stumbles upon an animal while looking for mushrooms or berries). The tourniquet must be applied tightly to prevent the flow of infected blood. Then squeeze out the blood affected by the poison through the wounds left by the viper’s teeth. After this, the patient should still be taken to the doctor to avoid complications and allergic reactions. The Anti-gyurza serum has proven itself well.

This poisonous reptile is quite big snake. Unlike many other animals, the female individual of vipers is usually larger than the male one.

The upper part of the snake's body is gray-brown in color. The color becomes lighter towards the middle of the back. It zigzags along the viper's spine dark stripe. The lateral pattern is a series of very dark spots with fuzzy edges.

The body length of the steppe viper can reach 60 cm, and the length of the tail - up to 10 cm. The edges of the muzzle of this reptile are slightly raised, and the skull is elongated.

The top of the head is painted in a dark, almost black pattern. Belly gray strewn with white spots. Melanism is quite rare in these snakes.

Habitat of vipers

The steppe viper is distributed throughout almost the entire territory of the Middle and Southern Europe. Habitat includes Hungary, Albania, Italy, Greece, Romania, France, territory former Yugoslavia, Germany. This snake also lives in the south and east of Ukraine and Kazakhstan. In Russia, this snake is found in Southern Siberia and the steppe regions of the Caucasus. The steppe viper is also found in the forest-steppe and steppe zone Russia.

Lifestyle and nutrition of the steppe viper

This snake prefers dry places, such as slopes covered with bushes, mountain and lowland steppes. Also found on alpine meadows and in ravines. In the mountains, this viper is found at altitudes of up to 2600 meters. In all of the listed places in its range, the steppe viper is not a common inhabitant.

There are places where the population density is up to 20–40 individuals per hectare. In the Saratov region, the density ranges from 4 to 9 individuals per 1 hectare, and in the north of the Lower Volga region there are only 2 to 5 individuals. The density of individuals is especially high in the steppes.

The steppe viper is active from the third ten days of March until October. Hibernation ends when the ambient temperature rises above 6 °C on average. In spring, while it is not very hot, this snake can be found even during the day. With the onset of summer, it appears on the surface only in the evening and morning hours. The steppe viper is an excellent swimmer. It moves rather slowly on a hard surface. Good at climbing trees. This snake spends the winter alone, hiding in empty rodent burrows, cracks in the ground, and between stones. It spends almost the entire cold season of the year in hibernation, but on warm winter days it can crawl to the surface and bask on the rocks.

The snake feeds on eggs and chicks, destroying bird nests. Its regular diet also includes rodents and lizards. The viper also does not disdain insects such as spiders, crickets, locusts and grasshoppers. At the beginning of spring, the diet is dominated by small lizards, but towards the end the balance shifts in favor of rodents and insects (mainly grasshoppers and locusts). Food in the viper's stomach is digested within 48 - 96 hours.

Reproduction of steppe vipers

The mating season begins in April and lasts until the end of May. The gestation period lasts from 13 to 17 weeks. After this period, from 4 to 10 cubs are born. The length of newborn young is from 13 to 16 cm, body weight is 3.2 – 4.5 g. Puberty comes at the age of more than two years. By this time the snake has grown to 30 cm.

Species protection

Previously, the venom of the steppe viper was used everywhere, but the decline in the number of the species forced it to abandon its use. IN present time In all European countries, the steppe viper is protected in accordance with the Berne Convention. Plowing of agricultural land sharply reduces the population of the species, putting it at risk, even to the point of extinction.

Smaller size common viper, the length of her body with head does not exceed 57 cm, usually no more than 45-48 cm. Females are somewhat larger than males. In the steppe viper, the lateral edges of the muzzle are pointed and slightly raised above its top part, and the nostrils cut through the lower parts of the nasal shields. 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 have dark blurry spots. Black steppe vipers are rare.

This species is common in Western Europe(France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria), in the steppe and southern part of the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine and Russia up to Eastern Kazakhstan and Northwest China. She lives in Crimea, in the steppe regions of the Caucasus, Central Asia, Turkey, Iran. It rises in the mountains to 2500-2700 m above sea level, inhabits Various types steppes, sea ​​coasts, shrubs, rocky mountain slopes, meadow floodplains, riverine forests, ravines, cereal-hodgepodge semi-deserts and weakly consolidated sands. The steppe viper avoids plowed agricultural land. The population density of the steppe viper depends on weather conditions and uneven over the years, snake foci are not sharply expressed. In some places over large areas the number of these vipers can be high. In the Ciscaucasia there are known areas where from 20 to 56 steppe vipers are found per 1 hectare. On the coastal cliffs of Taganrog Bay Sea of ​​Azov There are up to 160 steppe vipers per 1 km of shore. After winter, steppe vipers appear on the surface at different times. Most often, they crawl out for the first time in March or early April, and in the south of the range - at the end of February at a temperature not lower than 5 °C. IN warm days come to the surface in winter. Snakes spend the entire cold season in semi-torpor. Having left rodent burrows, soil cracks, voids between stones and other shelters where vipers hibernate alone or in small groups, they most days are spent in open, unshaded places, basking in the sun's rays.

In early or mid-April, steppe vipers mate. Males are active at this time. After the mating period, snakes feed intensively and, having had enough, lie for a long time in well-warmed places. In spring, steppe vipers feed on foot-and-mouth disease and lizards, which make up from 30 to 98% of their diet. In some places, when the number of mouse-like rodents is high, they catch voles, mole voles, steppe pieds, hamsters, mice, and also look for insects. Rodents and insects (mainly locusts) become the main prey of steppe vipers by the end of spring. Vipers also catch chicks of larks, wheatears, buntings and other small birds. They often climb trees after chicks, climb into birdhouses and destroy chicks of starlings, sparrows, and tits; Sometimes they also eat bird eggs. The steppe viper's prey is occasionally spadefoot vipers and frogs. Young steppe vipers feed on insects and arachnids, and rarely small lizards. Digestion takes place within 2-4 days.

Steppe vipers begin to reproduce in three years old, with a body length of 31 to 35 cm. Gestation period is from 90 to 130 days, most often about 105-110 days. From early August to mid-September, females give birth to 3 to 16 cubs, usually 5-6. The length of newborns is from 12 to 18 cm. The steppe viper probably forms a placental connection between the embryos and the walls of the mother’s oviducts. Soon after birth, vipers moult. Adults molt three times a year: in April-May, July-August, and late August - early September. Snakes shed at temperatures not lower than 15 °C and relative humidity not lower than 35%. In healthy snakes, shedding their 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 life expectancy of steppe vipers in nature is apparently shorter than that of ordinary vipers, since snakes older than 7-8 years are rarely found.

The steppe viper has many enemies: owl, black kite, steppe eagle, harrier, raven, stork, badger, fox, steppe ferret, hedgehog 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 can swallow two or three vipers in an hour. For humans, the bite of a steppe viper is less dangerous than the bite of an ordinary viper. The steppe viper tends to crawl away when meeting a person and attacks only when the path to retreat is cut off. Cases of deaths from the bite of the steppe viper are not reliably known. Occasionally, horses and small livestock die from the bites of this viper.

Panorama “Steppes and semi-deserts”