Common names: Baskian viper, Iberian cross adder, Portuguese viper.

Vipera seoanei 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 extreme southwestern France and the northern regions of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate race described here.

Description

Adults may grow to a length of 75 cm, but usually less.

This is a highly polymorphic species for which four main color-pattern types have been described:

A: well-developed, brown zigzig pattern down the back, very much like V. berus

Vipera berus

Vipera berus, the common European adder or common European viper, is a venomous viper species that is extremely widespread and can be found throughout most of Western Europe and all the way to Far East Asia. Known by a host of common names including Common adder and Common viper, adders have been...

, set against a beige or light-gray ground color.

B: roughly twin-striped pattern, with the ground color expressed as two narrow, straight, dorsolateral longitudinal lines along the body. Resembles V. kaznakovi

Vipera kaznakovi

Vipera kaznakovi is a venomous viper species found in Turkey, Georgia and Russia. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:A stoutly built species, of which the males are usually shorter and more slender than the females. Adults may reach a maximum length of 65-70 cm, but are usually less...

 to some degree.

C: uniform brownish morph with no pattern.

D: fragmented zigzag pattern (see V. s. cantabrica

Vipera seoanei cantabrica

Vipera seoanei cantabrica is a venomous viper subspecies found in the south central parts of the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain.-Description:...

).

Geographic range

Extreme southwestern France and the northern regions of Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 and Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. The type locality is given as "In montibus Gallaecorum et Cantabrorum ... d'Espagne" (the mountains of Galicia and Cantabrici, Spain). Mertens and Müller (1928) suggested a restricting the type locality to "Cabañas, Prov. Caruña, Spanien" (according to Golay et al. (1993), this is Cabañas, near Ferrol, A Caruña province

A Coruña (province)

The province of A Coruña is the most North-western Atlantic-facing province of Spain, and one of the four provinces which constitute the autonomous community of Galicia...

, northwestern Spain).

Conservation status

This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001). It was given this status due to its relatively wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. Year assessed: 2005.

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....

.

Subspecies

Species	Taxon author	Geographic range
V. s. cantabrica Vipera seoanei cantabrica Vipera seoanei cantabrica is a venomous viper subspecies found in the south central parts of the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain.-Description:...	Brana & Bas, 1983	The Cantabrian Mountains Cantabrian Mountains The Cantabrian Mountains or Cantabrian Range are one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.They extend for more than approximately 180 miles across northern Spain, from the western limit of the Pyrenees to the edges of the Galician Massif close to Galicia, along the coast of the...  of northern Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... .
V. s. seoanei	Lataste Fernand Lataste Fernand Lataste was a French zoologist who for example named the fat-tailed gerbil in 1880. The Lataste's Viper Vipera latastei, a viper from Spain, Portugal and North Africa, was named in his honor.... , 1879	Extreme southwestern France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...  and the northern regions of Spain and Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... .

External links

• Seoane's viper, Vipera seoanei at Reptiles & Amphibians of France. Accessed 30 October 2006.