Common names: rock viper, Radde's mountain viper, Armenian mountain viper, more.

Vipera raddei is a venomous

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 viper

Viperinae

The Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the Crotalinae. Currently, 12 genera and 66 species are recognized...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 found in Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

, Armenia

Armenia

Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

, and possibly also Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Description

Adult males grow to a maximum length of 99 cm. Adult females are smaller with a maximum of 79 cm.

Common name

Rock viper, Radde's mountain viper, Armenian mountain viper, Armenian viper, Radde's viper, Armenian mountain adder.

Geographic range

Eastern Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

, northwestern Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

, Armenia

Armenia

Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...

, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...

, and probably Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

. This species is parapatric or slightly sympatric with V. wagneri

Vipera wagneri

Vipera wagneri is a venomous viper species found in eastern Turkey and northwest Iran. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description: Grows to a maximum length of 70-95 cm....

 in the Aras river

Araks River

The Aras , is a river located in and along the countries of Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Its total length is...

 valley, Kars Province

Kars Province

Kars Province is a province of Turkey, located in the northeastern part of the country. It shares part of its border with the Republic of Armenia.The provinces of Ardahan and Iğdır were until the 1990s part of Kars Province.-History:...

, eastern Turkey. The type locality is listed as "Kasikoparan in Armenien." According to Nilson and Andrén (1986), Kasikoparan, Armenia (40°02'N, 43°26'E)] is now part of Turkey (Kazikkiran [Kazikkoparan]), Tuzluca, Kars Province, northeastern Anatolia).

Conservation status

This species is classified as Lower Risk with a subcategory of least concern (LR/lc) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v2.3, 1994). This indicates that it has been evaluated, but that it does not satisfy the criteria for any of the categories Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Also, it does not qualify for Conservation Dependent or Near Threatened either. Year assessed: 1996.

It is, however, listed as a protected species (Appendix III) under the Berne Convention

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979, also known as the Bern Convention , came into force on June 1, 1982....

.

Taxonomy

This species is apparently closely related to V. albicornuta

Vipera albicornuta

Vipera albicornuta is a venomous viper species endemic in Iran. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:Grows to a maximum length of 66 cm....

 and V. latifii

Vipera latifii

Vipera latifii is a venomous viper species endemic in Iran. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:For adult males, the maximum length is 78 cm, for females 70 cm.Holotype: SMF 62585.-Geographic range:...

; together they form the Vipera raddei group or complex.

External links

• Vipera raddei at Checklist of Armenia's Amphibians and Reptiles, Tadevosyan's Herpetological Resources. Accessed 30 March 2007.