Black viper | Facts & Information

# Black Viper | Facts & Information

Black Viper | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Black Viper

Lifestyle: Active during the day and at dusk

Habitat: Wet

Food: Carnivores

Size: between 40 and 80 cm

Weight: between 100-200 g

Colors: Black

Reproduction: give birth to live Cubs

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Black Viper

Black Viper

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Animals

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Species

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Facts

Area: much of Africa, Asia with some islands and Europe

Particularities: they are easily confused with other non-venomous species (Aesculapius snake or house snake)

Also called cross Viper, mountain Viper, Black Viper is an extremely cold-resistant species compared to other snakes. Sometimes it can be seen even at the end of the cold season, right on the snow. It is a very common species on almost the entire European continent (only the house snake is more widespread than the common Viper), less in the extreme south and southwest of the continent, where we find other species of Viper. Black Vipers prefer habitat with high humidity, where there are large differences in temperature between day and night. They usually live at high altitudes, above 1500 m.

BLACK VIPER FOOD

Their food consists mainly of small mammals, which are killed by the venom injected through the bite of the Viper. Viper venom is hemotoxic, destroying red blood cells and tissues with which it comes into contact (the result being necrosis), also having an anticoagulant action; through a neurotoxic action it can produce paralysis. A few species, such as" macrovipera schweitzeri", have specialized in bird hunting. Larger species, such as" Bitis gabonica", hunt larger animals, such as the spiked pig, or monkeys, bats and dwarf antelopes.

APPEARANCE BLACK VIPER   

The body is short and thick, and the tail is shorter in proportion to the body than non-venomous snakes. The drawing is highly variable, the typical shape with rhombuses on the back being present, but not mandatory. The eye is usually red or orange. and the pupil is elliptical (vertical, as in cats). Vipers can be completely black (for example, both subspecies from our country presenting melanistic specimens). The elliptical pupil and The Shape of the body are however the identification elements in establishing the specimen seen as potentially dangerous or not.

BLACK VIPER BEHAVIOR 

Experts say that the bite of this snake can lead to the death of a man in about 10 hours, if not intervened with antidote. If a tourist is bitten, he must avoid movement as much as possible, precisely in order not to favor the spread of Venom. If he has a knife or penknife on him, it is advisable to make a notch in the place of the bite and remove the liquid. It is also necessary to put a tourniquet, just so that the Venom does not spread quickly in the body. They are deaf and myopic, but very sensitive to vibrations. They attack only to defend themselves, when the proximity to them is too intimate, as they are surprised and think they are threatened. They say they're harmless as long as we don't get closer than their length.

BREEDING BLACK VIPER 

The breeding season of black Vipers occurs in the spring in April-May, with fights taking place between males. The female hatches the eggs in the body, the hatched chicks leaving the mother's body in august – October. The first Moult follows shortly after birth, after which the snakes become active. The Vipers are able to reproduce at the age of 3-4 years, the chicks being about 16 cm long. Usually females give birth series: or only females, or only males, the sex of the offspring being defined by several factors, such as the temperature at which the female stays during the gestation period.

 

 

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Black viper | Facts & InformationBlack Viper | Discover Fascinating Facts and Information About Black Viper