What do vipers eat. Common viper (lat. Vipera berus). What does a viper eat

30.10.2019

The viper is a rather peaceful snake that rarely attacks a person, and does so in case of danger. Usually she tries to avoid meeting a person. It can often be found in our forests. To provoke her to aggression, you need to either grab her with your hands or step on her with your foot. This is a poisonous snake, the bite of which, although not fatal, is quite painful. Very rarely, but complications can develop after a bite. Let us consider in more detail what the consequences of a viper bite can be.

chances of survival

The viper lives on a vast territory. You can meet her in thick grass, near water bodies, in the forest, that is, where there are rodents that the snake feeds on. Can you die from her bite? It is possible, but this happens very rarely, because their poison power is not designed for humans. It is adapted only for rodents.

The bite of a viper will be fatal to a person in the following cases:

in the presence of a strong allergic reaction to proteins, it is viper venom;
if the snake has bitten into the cervical artery, head or neck, and the person has developed an increased allergic reaction to the poison, but not as strong as in the first case;
providing improper assistance with a bite.

The consequences of a bite

The effect of the venom released when bitten wears hemolytic character. Usually, swelling occurs at the site of the bite, which is accompanied by pain and multiple small hemorrhages. In addition, there is a possibility of developing vascular thrombosis, as well as hemorrhage of internal organs.

Appear in the damaged area two deep wounds left by viper's teeth. The blood in them is baked quite quickly, which eliminates the possibility of further bleeding. The tissues surrounding the wound become bluish and they begin to swell. In the case when the snake has bitten into the hand, after a while the patient's fingers begin to bend with difficulty due to edema that can even spread to the elbow.

In addition, the consequences of a viper bite include:

chills;
increase in body temperature;
nausea.

Sometimes these symptoms are accompanied by a deterioration in the work of the heart muscle, dizziness or vomiting. All this is the result disorders of the entire circulatory system. The victim may have low blood pressure, develop internal bleeding, the person weakens, and sometimes loses consciousness. In more severe cases, convulsions appear, excitability increases. Unfortunately, a person can die from such complications. The lethal outcome occurs after 30 minutes, although there have been cases when death occurred after a day.

In our country, you can only meet the common viper, the bite of which is almost never fatal. Most often, a person returns to his former life after a few weeks.

First aid for a bite

What to do if a person is bitten by a viper? In this case, it must be taken as soon as possible from the place where it happened, since there is a high probability that there may be several snakes. After this, the victim must be laid in such a way that he the head was located below the level of the pelvis, and the legs were raised. This ensures normal blood circulation and reduces the likelihood of complications in the brain.

It is necessary to carefully examine the bitten place. If the snake has bitten through the clothes, then it should be removed, as the fabric may contain a large amount of poison. In the event that droplets of poison are near the wound, they are carefully wiped off, otherwise they can get into the blood. It should be remembered that after a snake bite, it is necessary act very quickly because the patient's life depends on it.

Then you need to firmly grasp the wound with your hands and press on it so that the poison flows out. Then you should try to open the wound and start actively suck out poison, periodically spitting it out. If there is not enough saliva, you can take some water into your mouth and continue your actions. If everything is done correctly, then in 15 minutes it will be possible to remove half of the poison from the body of the victim. The helping person should not be afraid of the risk of infection, even if there are small abrasions or wounds in his oral cavity.

If there is no one to help the victim, then you will have to try to suck out the poison yourself.

If edema occurs, then the wound needs treat with antiseptic solutions. In this case, it is better not to use brilliant green, because it will not allow doctors to carefully examine the wound. The injured limb should be fixed. It is advisable to lay the victim on a stretcher and immobilize, since any movement helps to increase blood circulation and spread the poison more widely.

A sterile dressing impregnated with hydrogen peroxide is applied to the wound. The victim should be given plenty of water to drink because the liquid helps to reduce the concentration of the poison. Prior to the arrival of doctors, it is necessary to monitor the person's condition by measuring his body temperature and pressure.

Help of doctors

Doctors usually use for snakebite drug Antigadyuka, specially designed to neutralize the effect and completely remove snake venom from the body. Improvements after the introduction of serum come in a few hours. It is advisable to spend this time under the supervision of a doctor who will help you choose other effective remedies for treating the consequences of a viper bite.

Further treatment is carried out based on the symptoms present. The patient may be prescribed analgesic, antipyretic or anti-inflammatory drugs. Also, the doctor may prescribe medications that normalize heart rate and blood clotting.

What can not be done with a viper bite?

In order not to harm yourself and not cause complications, you should know what not to do after being bitten by a poisonous snake:

It is forbidden to cut a wound, because it is easy to infect with such actions, damage muscles, and also provoke severe bleeding. In severe cases, the victim may even die, but not from the action of the poison, but from blood loss.
You can’t cauterize the wound with anything, because this will not help burn out the poison, but you can burn your muscles.
It is forbidden to water the wound with various acids (sulfuric acid, caustic potash, etc.), as this can lead to sad consequences.
It is not recommended to wrap the affected limb too tightly, because after a bite it swells, and a tight bandage will only worsen blood circulation.
Do not apply a bandage above the affected area, as this contributes to the development of gangrene and other complications in which tissue dies off and blood stagnation occurs.
It is forbidden to chip the injured area with painkillers and other drugs. In general, until the doctors arrive, you can not inject any medicine to a person.
Alcoholic drinks should not be given to the victim, because they are not an antidote, but only increase the effect of the poison.

Bite prevention

Prevention of viper bites is to follow these recommendations:

Thus, if a person is bitten by a viper, then this practically does not lead to death, but the victim must definitely consult a doctor. If he neglects this and does not go to the clinic, then serious complications can develop, such as kidney failure, and sometimes this can lead to death.

Vipers cause fear and panic in many people, but still they are very beautiful animals with interesting external characteristics and habits. You can verify this by the example of an ordinary viper, which is often called brown, gray, forest and rattlesnake, Siberian.

Description and characteristics of the common viper

If little is known about some varieties of reptiles, then any herpetologist probably knows who such an ordinary viper is. General information about her can be found in many sources, but it is likely that not all aspects of her life have been thoroughly studied. Let's learn more about this variety of poisonous snakes.

What does it look like

The common viper belongs to the viper family, but has its own individual characteristics. They are inherent in both the habits of the animal and its appearance:

body length- no more than 65 cm, but specimens up to 90 cm long were seen on the Scandinavian Peninsula (females are always larger than males).
The weight- an average of about 200 g, but there are individuals weighing 1 kg.
Head- flattened, and separated from the rest by a short neck, the muzzle is rounded, and in the upper part three large thyroid regions are clearly visible: the frontal and two parietal (sometimes one more develops between them). The nostrils are located at the bottom of the nasal shield, and above the eyes are overhanging supraorbital shields, because of which the snake seems angry.
torso- in its middle part it is covered with 21 scales, while the number of abdominal growths varies between 132-158 pieces (a male from a female can also be distinguished by this feature, because males always have fewer scales). In the caudal zone, there are 32-46 pairs of scales in males and 23-38 in females.
Color- changeable. The main background is gray, light brown, brown or reddish with a copper overflow. Along the ridge, the main background is complemented by a zigzag pattern. The belly can be grey, grey-brown or completely black, in rare cases with white spots. The general appearance is complemented by a yellow, orange or red tail. In some regions where common vipers live, 50% are black varieties, the so-called melanistic vipers.

When studying information about the viper, it would be useful to find out whether it swims in water and whether it can bite in the aquatic environment. Representatives of the described species are good swimmers, which allows them to catch frogs and small fish. They usually do not attack first, but if a person hooks a snake, then it is unlikely that they will be able to avoid a bite.

Did you know? The name "viper" comes from the word "gad", which our ancestors meant "disgusting animal".

Where are found

You can meet an ordinary viper in the wild on the territory of European and Asian countries, but basically it lives only in places with low temperatures (it often settles in mountainous areas, at an altitude of up to 2.6 km above sea level). He equips his dwelling in bushes, oak trees, birch groves and next to marshy forest areas.
Life expectancy in the natural habitat is 10-15 years, but many individuals do not live up to 10(this is especially true for females, which often give birth). It is difficult to say exactly how long ordinary vipers live at home, because much depends on the conditions of their maintenance and proper nutrition.

What do they eat

The main components of the diet of the described predator are:

small and medium rodents;
amphibians;
lizards;
small birds whose nests are located on the ground.

The specific type of potential "food" of the viper depends on its habitat and the availability of food. For example, Dutch snakes prefer moor frogs, but may eat lizards. In other areas, common vipers eat mainly wood voles, shrews and spindles. Young animals eat smaller foods, which can diversify their diet even at an older age.

The menu consists of the following insects:

bugs;
locusts;
butterfly caterpillars;
ants;
slugs
earthworms.

How they breed

The common viper is a viviparous snake, the mating season of which falls on May (the birth of new individuals is closer to the end of the summer season). However, offspring will appear or not, depends on a number of factors, among which the age of the “future mother” is in the first place. Unlike many other reptiles, this variety of viper rarely survives after several years of active reproduction, but if you take into account the period before puberty, then the total life expectancy will average 5-7 years.

Young individuals appear from eggs while still in the mother's body, and fully formed and independent animals are born into the world, which do not require the help of the mother from the very first minutes after birth. Most of these snakes do not build nests, and their birth process is very unusual. As soon as the female feels the approach of labor activity, she crawls onto a stump or tree trunk, tightly wraps around it, leaving only the tail hanging down.
Appearing serpents fall to the ground and immediately crawl away. The longer the female, the more offspring she will give, but on average she gives birth to 8-12 young individuals at a time.

Important! Before their first hibernation (usually occurs in October-November), young vipers stop looking for food in order to digest the food already in the body and prevent metabolic disturbances during sleep.

Where and how do they winter

Wintering of common vipers begins from the moment of hibernation (October-November) and continues until mid-spring (the exact timing depends on the characteristics of the climatic region of residence). Settling down for the winter, the snake seeks out the most suitable depression in the soil - usually someone's holes or just cracks in the ground and descends to a depth of about two meters. At such a distance from the surface of the earth, the temperature remains within +2 ... +4 ° C all winter, which is perfect for these reptiles.
If there are few suitable places, then several vipers can be accommodated in one hole, which, with the advent of spring, will crawl out and crawl in different directions.

natural enemies

The biggest enemy of the common viper is man, who constantly cuts down forests and changes the landscape, thereby leaving the animal without shelter. In addition, in European countries, these snakes are caught and resold to private terrariums, and in Romania, poison is also extracted from them. However, people are not the only danger for vipers, there are enough those in the forest itself who can harm them.

Among animals, the main enemy is the hedgehog, which has good immunity to snake venom. When attacking, he bites his victim and immediately curls up into a ball, pointing needles. This continues until she weakens and dies. The external attractiveness of the hedgehog is very deceiving, because it is one of the most active predators that eats snakes with pleasure.
Other natural enemies of the common viper include:

foxes;
badgers;
ferrets;
eagles;
sometimes storks.

Any of them capable of turning a dangerous reptile from a hunter into a prey.

Did you know? According to approximate calculations, 70 milliseconds is enough for a gray viper to bite and jump back to its original place. It is unlikely that anyone will have time to feel the danger during such a time.

What you need to know about a viper bite

If we are talking about an ordinary viper, there is no doubt about the poisonousness of the snake. However, what happens after her bite depends on the reaction rate of the victim and his environment. For a healthy adult, the venom of this snake rarely becomes fatal, but if an animal has bitten a child, it is better to take him to the hospital as soon as possible in order to definitely exclude the possibility of death.

Bite symptoms

Whether it is possible to die from a snake bite and whether the poison of a particular viper is deadly are undoubtedly important questions, but, in addition to this, there are a number of other symptoms that, although they cannot kill, are unpleasant consequences for a person of a snake attack. In the case of an ordinary variety of vipers, first of all it is worth highlighting:

throbbing pain in the bite area;
redness and swelling around the wound;
intoxication of the body, accompanied by dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating and tachycardia;
increase in body temperature.

With the hypersensitivity of the body to poison, it is quite possible to lose consciousness, swelling of the face, lowering blood pressure and heavy bleeding, sometimes appearing along with the development of renal failure, convulsions or coma.

Important! In rare cases, these symptoms can persist for up to a year, but this happens only with self-treatment.

First aid

Often people have no idea what to do if bitten by a snake, especially away from the city and first aid stations. However, it is first aid that will help reduce the level of risk in each case.
Among the main recommendations are the following:

try to calm down and apply a compressive bandage (just do not tourniquet);
reduce the load on the injured limb as much as possible, up to its immobilization;
make sure you drink plenty of water;
if possible, suck out the poison from the wound, after rinsing your mouth well (this will help reduce the likelihood of bacterial flora entering the body).

At the same time, even knowing about the rules of first aid for a snakebite, you should not provoke such situations. Going on an excursion to the forest thickets, you need to take a first aid kit with you and invite an experienced guide.

What is strictly forbidden to do

Knowing the rules of first aid after a viper bite will significantly reduce the rehabilitation period for the victim, but this is only if all actions are performed correctly. Along with the list of necessary manipulations, there is also a list of undesirable ones, among which it is worth highlighting:

transverse incision of the bite site in order to extract the poison;
cauterization of the wound;
applying a pressure tourniquet;
covering with snow.

Consequences of a viper bite All this has long proved its low efficiency, and in some cases, such actions can only complicate the situation.

medical treatment

The antidote for the bite of an ordinary viper should be in any paramedical station located in its habitat. It is in such institutions that it is necessary to deliver the victim, where the doctor will make the appropriate vaccine. The most popular antidote on the territory of the Russian Federation, in this case, is the drug with the eloquent name "Antigadyuka", the analogue of which in Ukraine is the "Serum against common viper venom, horse, purified, concentrated, liquid".

The antibodies present in its composition neutralize toxins, but maximum effectiveness can only be achieved after a few hours. Until the condition of the victim improves, he is left in the hospital, providing symptomatic treatment.
First of all, it is:

organization of a plentiful drinking regime for the rapid elimination of toxins along with urine;
the use of antihistamines (for example, Suprastin, Dimedrol, Tavegil), at a dosage of 1-2 tablets, regardless of the age of the victim (in some cases, drugs are given before the introduction of an antidote);
the use of an antipyretic (for example, "Aspirin");
the use of a 0.5% solution of "Novocaine", which is used to cut off the bite area;
anesthesia with the help of any available composition, but only non-narcotic effects;
the appointment of "Dopamine", "Heptamil" or other similar drugs intended to normalize blood pressure with its sharp decrease;
a course of antibiotics.

You can take all this (except for the vaccine) with you, because a first-aid kit can come in handy in other unforeseen cases.

Did you know? Most snakes have well-developed infrared vision, but in order for them to “see” their prey, its temperature must be at least +28 ° C.

Prevention

Even if the venom of a common viper does not kill you, there is little pleasure from a bite, so it is better to prevent it than to deal with the consequences.
The main preventive measures in this case include:

the use of high rubber shoes when hiking in the forest;
a thorough examination of the place chosen for rest (it is likely that a snake twisted somewhere under a stone);
maintaining calm when meeting with a reptile (without unnecessary screams and tantrums, just step aside);
constant accompaniment of children (do not allow kids to climb bushes and trees);
if the animal is prepared for an attack and demonstrates this with its appearance, you can retreat only by moving backwards, without turning your back on the predator and without putting your hands forward.

To exclude the possibility of an attack on your territory, destroy rodents in a timely manner, since they are the ones that attract vipers.

Features of some types of viper

In addition to the common viper, there are many other types of real vipers in nature: poisonous and not very. Some are found on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries, and when faced with them, it is advisable to understand who exactly you are dealing with.

Nikolsky

Like the snake described above, the Nikolsky viper is often found in certain regions of the Russian Federation and Ukraine (mainly in the direction of Kanev - Kursk - Tambov - Buzuluk, although representatives of the species often penetrate into the steppe areas of the Samara and Saratov regions, into the Southern and Middle Urals).
The average individual of this species reaches a length of 76.5 cm, with a tail length of 8 cm (females are always larger than males). Young snakes are brown in color and have a dark zigzag pattern on the back, which darkens even more closer to three years.

The Nikolsky Viper is poisonous, but the poison is not fatal and does not pose a serious danger to a healthy person (it is completely neutralized by ordinary serum).

Viper Kaznakov or as it is also called "Caucasian" is also a representative of the genus of real vipers, and got its name in honor of the director of the Museum of the Caucasus Kaznakov A.N. It is distinguished from the steppe by its bright coloration (mainly with red, orange and black tones), and it does not matter which population the individual in question is a representative of. This is not the largest snake, but it is difficult to confuse it with others. The body length of the reptile is 45-47 cm, the head is wide, slightly flattened from above with a clearly defined neck.
The habitat is the territory of Turkey, Georgia, Abkhazia and Russia, and on the lands of the latter it is found mainly in the foothill regions of the Krasnodar Territory. Viper Kaznakov prefers to settle in alpine meadows and broad-leaved forests.

Did you know? Representatives of this species are included in the International Red List.

Melanist (black)

The black viper melanist is, in fact, the same ordinary viper, only with a completely black body. Even the iris of the snake's eyes does not differ from its general color, however, reddish-copper individuals are sometimes found. The body length does not exceed 75 cm, the head is more oval than triangular, slightly flattened in the upper part.
Adults are always completely black, while juveniles are grey-brown with a zigzag pattern on the back. The snake's habitat is the steppe regions of the European part of the Russian Federation and Ukraine. Usually snakes settle in massifs and oak forests of broad-leaved regions.

Poisonous snake from the genus of African vipers. It grows up to 1.2 m in length, has a flat triangular head with 2-3 pointed scales at the end of the muzzle. It is because of them that the viper got its name. The body is thick and short, covered with a beautiful pattern: on the back there are double trapeziums of blue color, with yellow edging and connections in the form of black rhombuses. Representatives of the species are usually found in the equatorial part of the African continent and, unlike previous species, are more dangerous to humans. The rhinoceros viper settles mainly in tropical rainforests, in swampy areas and on the banks of streams and lakes.

Levantine

Viper gyurza (this is how the representatives of this species are called) belongs to the genus of giant vipers, the Viper family. Together with the tail, the length of its body reaches 2 m, with a mass of 3 kg. The head is large and wide, with the same large muzzle. The upper part of the body is grayish-brown in color, but the pattern may vary: for example, relatively large dark brown spots on the back often turn into small spots on the sides. Habitat - desert, semi-desert and mountain-steppe zones of Africa, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan. It can be found in Transcaucasia and in the southern part of Kazakhstan.

steppe

A relatively large viper, growing on average up to 60 cm in length. The head is slightly elongated, with raised edges of the muzzle. The body is not very massive, brownish-gray in the upper part and light in the middle of the back. A black, zigzag pattern runs along the ridge, although in some cases it is broken into several separate spots. Feeds on small vertebrates and insects.

It lives mainly in European and Asian territory, but is found in some regions of Russia and Ukraine. Feels equally good both on flat terrain and in mountainous areas.

A characteristic feature of representatives of this species is the unusual structure of the scales on the body, which makes it seem bristly. Males are larger than females and grow up to 73 cm in length, while the length of females does not exceed 58 cm. Body color can be completely different: from red and black to yellow-green and orange-blue. It is found in Central Africa, mainly in the provinces of the Congo and Kenya.

Desert

Another large and rather poisonous viper, found mostly on the semi-arid rocky mountains of southern Morocco, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia (sometimes called sand or "Sakhalin"). Representatives of this species reach 1.3-1.6 m in length and are distinguished by a grayish-cream body color. On most of the body, gray-brown spots are clearly visible, forming a zigzag pattern.
The so-called Sakhalin viper (distinguished by its smaller body size, but outwardly very similar to the desert viper) is found in the mountain and plain coniferous-small-leaved forests of some regions of the Russian Federation.

Did you know?Snakes are distinguished by a high level of survivability, which has very interesting evidence in history. So, in 1846, two desert vipers, which at that time were considered dead, were exhibited as exhibits in the British Museum. However, after museum workers lowered one of them into warm water, she began to move and eat again (this fact has not yet been rationally explained).

Asia Minor

It belongs to the group of medium-sized vipers, with a body length of 60-75 cm. In the upper part, the color is gray with a brown tint, and along the ridge there is a row of yellow-orange or brown spots, often merging into one zigzag line. There are two very noticeable dark stripes on the back of the head, and small blackish spots can be seen on the belly. A variety of Asia Minor vipers is the Radde viper.
Habitat - the European territory of Greece and Turkey, Armenia, certain mountainous regions of Azerbaijan.

The genus of African vipers has many species, whose representatives reach a length of several tens of centimeters to two meters or even more. One of the most popular and numerous species are dwarf African vipers, with a body length of no more than 32 cm. They have a thick body, gray or reddish-yellow color, with several longitudinal rows of dark spots. The tip of the tail is traditionally black. It is found mainly in South and Southeast Africa, in desert regions with little vegetation.

Ruzel

Ruzel's viper (aka Russell's snake, chain viper and daboia) is the most famous poisonous reptile in South Asia and India, where the snake is one of the four most poisonous. The maximum body length of Russell's viper is 166 cm, although in the mainland part of the range these figures do not exceed 120 cm.

An arrow-like pattern is clearly visible on the head, with a straight white border, and on a gray-brown body there are dark brown spots in a white border (sometimes they are interconnected).

Woody

African tree vipers are a genus of venomous snakes found in the tropical regions of the African continent. Representatives of different species (for example, rough or green vipers) do not grow more than 75 cm in length, and their color can vary from rich green to yellow-red or even blue. Almost all of them choose moist forests for life.

How to get rid of vipers in the country

The experience of experienced summer residents confirms the possibility of meeting with a viper in their area. Snakes crawl not only into the most remote places, but also into houses, so the issue of their quick elimination is often in the first place. To distract them from your home, you can take the following steps:

mow tall vegetation;
take out large stones, lumber and other debris that can serve as a shelter for reptiles;
eliminate small rodents and eliminate their holes, which also attract snakes;
enclose the site with a fence dug into the soil by 5 cm and with cells no more than 5 cm.

Among the folk methods of dealing with reptiles, the following are especially valuable:

spreading mustard (1 kg is enough for 10 acres);
planting garlic in different corners of the site;
burning car tires (the smell will scare away vipers);
scattering naphthalene balls, saltpeter, ammophoska, garden herbicide (you can soak rags in them and scatter them in the garden and around the house);
hanging rattles, Chinese bells and other products “noisy” in the wind in the garden (snakes love peace and quiet, and this will disturb it).

Video: How to get rid of snakes in the area Using all these methods, most likely you will not have to think about how to kill vipers, but if they are still massively gathering on your territory, then you will have to call in professionals. There are services that specialize in catching snakes and taking them far beyond private property. In addition, they know how to properly eliminate the reason for their constant return (for example, poison rodents). When hiking in the forest or being on private property, do not forget about the safety rules. Even when meeting with a dangerous animal, attacks can be avoided if you know exactly who you are dealing with and what are the behavioral characteristics of a particular viper.

In addition to the usual ones (insects, moles, worms), some summer residents may be in wait for special neighbors in the country, extremely unpleasant and dangerous - these are snakes. How to get rid of vipers in their summer cottage - more on that later in the article.

Description of the pest

The viper is a venomous snake often found in our latitudes. Small in size (usually no more than half a meter), with a large flat head, the frontal shield of which is almost rectangular. These snakes have a variety of colors from gray to reddish, black vipers are also found.

A distinctive feature is the zigzag ornament on the back, clearly visible against the background of the main color. The tip of the tail is yellow, orange or red.

It lives in forests, adapts well to any terrain. The basis of food are small rodents, reptiles.

So there are some advantages from such neighbors. For those who are not ready to put up with these creatures, below we will give tips on getting rid of unwanted elements in your backyard.

How to get rid of vipers

You can get rid of vipers on the site in a humane and radical way. More about both methods below.

Radical Methods

The first thing a person thinks when they see a dark ball in the grass is how to kill a snake safely.

First way getting rid of reptiles is to eliminate nesting sites. Tidy up your yard, clean up the garbage - any pile of garbage, a board can be a reptile's refuge. Mow the surrounding areas regularly - tall grass camouflages snakes well.

An additional effect of mowing is the noise of a brushcutter or lawn mower. The reptile is sensitive to the stimulus and moves away from the source of noise.
Second method- deprivation of food sources. Destroy rodents and frogs, others that may provide food. In search of food, reptiles will leave your territory.
Third method- physical destruction. A good service in this will be rendered to us by those who are afraid of snakes - hedgehogs and yagdterriers.

Did you know? Hedgehogs are immune to snake venom. They hunt vipers, trample them and gnaw through the spine.

- the best snake and rat hunter. Small burrowing dogs, dexterous and bold, pounce on enemies and gnaw through the backbone. The downside is the aggressiveness of animals. They must be kept in muzzles.

scare away

Scaring away will help to bring out reptiles on the site. But very often they return after the disappearance of the threat.

So, how to scare away snakes from their summer cottage?

You can play on the susceptibility of vipers to smells. Sprinkled mustard powder (about 100 g per one hundred square meters) or garlic beds in different parts of the garden helps well. Get rid of the shed snake skin. Reptiles return to the place where they molted.

Important! Do not pick up the skin with bare hands–don't leave your scent.

Burning grass will make the site unattractive to reptiles.

Vipers are sensitive to chemicals. Scattered naphthalene balls (saltpeter, amophoska, any garden one), rags soaked in diesel fuel will scare away reptiles.
Use sound effects. Wind music, bells, rattles, weather vanes - all this will create a noise that reptiles do not like very much.

A good effect is the use of mole repellers. These devices generate ultrasonic waves and vibration, to which the reptiles respond. Such devices can be bought in shops of goods for fishing and tourism.

Not to mention American rattlesnakes, which have an instant reaction and deadly poison, an unsuccessful encounter with which has a very high chance of becoming the last. But, nevertheless, among the reptiles living in our latitudes, it is the viper that is the most dangerous. Speaking of the name of this snake, the word "viper" is rooted in ancient times and comes literally from the word "reptile", meaning disgusting animals, which is the heroine of our today's article.

Viper: description, structure, characteristics. What does a viper look like?

Many vipers are distinguished by a short and thickened body. The maximum length of the viper reaches 3-4 meters, while small snakes can be 30 cm long. The weight of an adult large viper is approximately 15-17 kg.

All types of vipers also have a flattened round-triangular skull shape with noticeable temporal protrusions. At the tip of the muzzle of some species of this snake there are single or paired formations - the so-called modified scales.

The eyes of the viper are small, have vertical pupils that can narrow and expand, filling the entire eye. Thanks to this, vipers can see at night, just as well as during the day, in general, the vision of these snakes is well developed.

The color of the viper can take on a variety of colors, depending on its type. Also on her body can be a variety of plain patterns. But in any case, the colors of the viper depend on the place of its stay and are arranged in such a way as to merge as much as possible with the surrounding space.

All vipers, however, like other poisonous snakes, have a pair of well-developed fangs, which are also devices for excreting poison. The latter is formed in the poisonous glands that are located behind the upper jaw of the snake. Viper teeth can be up to 4 cm long. When the mouth is closed, they are folded and covered with a special film cloth.

During an attack or defense, the snake's mouth opens at an angle of 180 degrees, the jaw rotates, and the fangs are pulled forward. When the jaws of the viper close, there is a sharp contraction of the strong muscles surrounding the poisonous glands, as a result of which the poison is released, which is more like a blow than a bite.

What do vipers eat in nature

The viper is a notorious predator, besides leading a nocturnal lifestyle. These snakes prefer to attack their prey from an ambush, biting it with their poisonous fangs with a swift throw, the victim dies from the poison within a few minutes, then the viper starts its meal, usually swallowing the prey whole.

The main menu of the viper is a variety of small rodents, marsh frogs, and some birds. Small vipers feed on large beetles, locusts, and can catch caterpillars.

Natural enemies of vipers

Vipers also have their enemies, who, despite the presence of poisonous fangs, are not averse to feasting on this snake. Among them, ferrets, badgers, wild (surprisingly, viper poison does not affect wild boars from the word at all), as well as a number of birds of prey: owls, herons, storks and eagles. And the enemies of vipers can also be attributed, which, although they do not feast on them, often enter into fights with these reptiles, from which they usually come out victorious.

How long does a viper live

Typically, the average life expectancy of a viper in nature is 15 years, but some specimens can live up to 30 years.

Where does the viper live

In fact, vipers live not only in our latitudes but also over a much wider geographic range, they can be found in almost any climatic conditions and landscapes: Europe, Asia, Africa, both Americas, Australia and New Zealand.

Lifestyle of vipers

Typically, these snakes lead a sedentary lifestyle, only occasionally making forced migrations to wintering grounds. Vipers spend most of their time basking in the sun or hiding under rocks.

Where and how vipers hibernate

Vipers begin to worry about wintering from October-November. For "winter apartments", burrows are sought that go up to 2 m into the ground, so that a positive temperature is maintained inside. If there are a lot of vipers in this area, then many individuals can winter in one such hole. In March-April, when the spring sun begins to warm, vipers crawl out of their winter shelters and start breeding.

Viper venom - bite consequences and symptoms

The viper's venom is not as potent as, for example, that of a cobra or a rattlesnake, but in some cases it can be fatal to humans. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to remind once again that it is worth staying away from the viper, however, as well as from all poisonous snakes in general.

On the other hand, viper venom has found its use for medical purposes, a number of medicines are made from it, and it is also used in the production of cosmetics. According to its chemical structure, viper venom consists of proteins, lipids, peptides, amino acids and salt and sugar of inorganic origin. Preparations from it help as an analgesic for neuralgia, rheumatism, hypertension, and skin diseases.

When bitten, viper venom enters the human body through the lymph nodes and from there it instantly appears in the blood. Viper bite symptoms: burning pain, there will be redness and swelling around the bite site, as the consequences of intoxication will be dizziness, nausea, chills, heart palpitations. Needless to say, if bitten by a viper, seek professional medical attention immediately.

Viper bite - first aid

What to do if bitten by a viper, while bitten away from civilization (and this happens most often), somewhere in the mountains-forests:

First of all, it is necessary to provide peace to the bitten place by fixing it with a semblance of a splint, or by tying a bent arm with a handkerchief. After a bite, it is very undesirable to actively move in order to avoid the rapid spread of poison throughout the body.
By pressing your finger at the bite site, you need to try to open the wound and suck out the poison. You can do this with your mouth, then spitting out saliva, but only if there are no damages in your mouth: cracks, scratches, otherwise the poison can get into the blood through your mouth. It is necessary to suck out the poison continuously for 15-20 minutes.
After that, the bite site must be disinfected with any improvised means, maybe vodka, cologne, iodine, and put a clean and slightly pressure bandage on it.
It is advisable to use as much liquid as possible, water, weak tea, but in no case coffee, and even more so nothing alcoholic.
As soon as possible, it is imperative to seek qualified medical help from a doctor.

How is it different from a viper

Very often, vipers are confused with other snakes, for example, with a completely harmless one, which is not surprising, because both snakes are very similar, they have a similar color, they live in the same places. And yet there are a number of differences between them, which we will write further:

Despite the similar color, the appearance of these snakes has one significant difference - the snake has two yellow or orange spots on its head, while the viper does not have them.
There is also a difference in the spots of the scales, in snakes the spots go in a checkerboard pattern, in vipers there is a zigzag stripe on the back that runs along the entire body.
The eyes of a snake and a viper are different, in a viper the pupil is vertical, in snakes it is round.
Perhaps the most important difference is the presence of poisonous fangs in the viper, which the snake simply does not have.
Usually longer than a viper, although a large viper may be caught, which will be longer than a small snake.
The snake's tail is longer and thinner, while the viper's tail is shorter and thicker.

Types of vipers, photos and names

In nature, zoologists have counted more than 250 species of vipers, but we will focus on the most interesting of them.

The most common of the vipers, living in a wide geographical area, including on the territory of our country, so when hiking in the mountains of the Carpathians or simply gathering in the forest, you should carefully look under your feet so as not to accidentally step on this snake. The common viper usually has 60-70 cm in length and weighs from 50 to 180 grams. The females are usually larger than the males. The color of common vipers can be different: black, light gray, yellow-brown, depending on its place of residence.

A characteristic difference of this viper is the presence of a scaly outgrowth at the tip of the muzzle, very similar to the nose. The length of this viper is 60-70 cm, the body color is gray, sand, or red-brown. This type of viper lives in the south of Europe and in Asia Minor: in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Georgia.

steppe viper

It lives in the steppes of southern and southeastern Europe, and is also found on the territory of our Ukraine. The length of this snake is 64 cm, the color is gray-brown, a zigzag stripe runs along the back of the steppe viper.

A characteristic feature of this type of viper is the small horns located above the eyes of the snake. It has a length of 60-80 cm, its body is creamy-green in color, dotted with small dark brown spots. The horned keffiyeh lives in Southeast Asia, in particular in China, India, and Indonesia.

She is also a Burmese fairy viper, she received her middle name thanks to the zoologist Leonard Feah, who studied her. It lives in Asia, in China, Tibet, Burma, Vietnam. The length of this viper is 80 cm. It has large shields on its head, the body is gray-brown in color with yellow stripes, while the head is completely yellow.

This is perhaps the most dangerous viper in the world, its bite in 4 out of 5 cases leads to a fatal case. But fortunately, the noisy viper does not live in our area, it lives exclusively in Africa and in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. It has a golden yellow or dark beige color, a U-shaped pattern runs along the body.

This type of viper has a special decoration on the muzzle in the form of vertically protruding scales. The thick body of this snake can reach up to 1.2 m in length, moreover, it is covered with very beautiful patterns. It lives in the humid forests of equatorial Africa.

Labaria or kaisaya

One of the largest vipers, its length can reach up to 2.5 m. It has a lemon yellow color, which is why it is also called the “yellow beard”. This viper lives in South America.

She is the Levant viper, also one of the most dangerous vipers, her poison in its toxicity is second only to that of the cobra. It is also a very large snake, its body length can reach up to 2 m and weigh up to 3 kg. The body color is usually grey-brown. Gyurza lives in Asia and North Africa.

This is the smallest viper in the world, and due to its size, it is relatively harmless, although, of course, its bite can cause unpleasant consequences. The length of the pygmy viper does not exceed 25 cm. It lives in central Africa.

Bushmaster or surukuku

But this is the opposite, the largest viper in the world, its body length can be up to 4 m and weigh up to 5 kg. It lives in the tropical rainforests of Central America.

How vipers breed

The reproduction of vipers usually begins in March-May, with the onset of spring heat, these snakes begin the mating season. Viper eggs are formed in the womb of the female, and small snakes hatch there, which are born either in late summer or early autumn. One medium-sized viper usually has 8-12 cubs.

The process of the birth of new reptiles takes place in an interesting way: a pregnant female wraps her tail around a tree trunk, while keeping her tail in the air and simply scatters her cubs on the ground, by the way, already fully formed and ready for independent life. The length of newborn snakes is 10-12 cm, they immediately molt, and then they molt 1-2 times a month.

In some nations, vipers are even revered as sacred, such as the temple keffis on the island of Penang. They are specially brought to the snake temple, hung on trees. Locals consider vipers to be the keepers of the hearth.
Dried meat of the cottonmouth viper is in demand among Chinese and Japanese gourmets. It is also used in folk healing.

Viper, video

And in conclusion, an interesting documentary from the Net Geo Wild channel about vipers.

Description

The common viper, as a rule, is of medium size - males reach 60 cm, females 70 cm. In the north of the range, rare specimens reach 1 meter in length. The head is separated from the body by a short neck, the muzzle from above, in front of the line connecting the anterior edges of the eyes, has 3 large shields (one in the middle and two on the sides), as well as a number of smaller ones. The pupil is vertical. The muzzle is rounded at the end. The nasal opening is cut in the middle of the nasal shield. Coloration varies greatly from gray and bluish to copper red and black, with a characteristic zigzag pattern on the back along the spine. In the latter case, the pattern is practically indistinguishable.

Spreading

The range of the common viper includes Europe (Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, France, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, northern Greece, Switzerland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia - the middle and northern regions of the European part) and Asia (Russia - Siberia, the Far East to Sakhalin inclusive; North Korea and northern regions of China). This is the only snake found in the far north (up to 68 ° north latitude) due to its low susceptibility to low temperatures.

Lifestyle

An ordinary viper lives on average 11-12 years. It quickly adapts to any terrain and can live at altitudes up to 3000 meters above sea level. The distribution is uneven depending on the availability of wintering sites. Saddled, as a rule, does not move further than 50-100 meters. The exception is forced migration to the wintering place, in which case the snakes can move up to 5 km away. Wintering usually takes place from October-November to March-April (depending on the climate), for which he chooses a depression in the ground (burrows, crevices, etc.) at a depth of up to 2 meters, where the temperature does not drop below +2 ... +4 °C In the event of a shortage of such places, several hundred individuals may accumulate in one place, which crawl out to the surface in spring, which creates the impression of great crowding. Subsequently, the snakes crawl away.

In the summer, it often basks in the sun, the rest of the time it hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. The snake is not aggressive, and when a person approaches, it tries to use its camouflage coloration as much as possible, or move away. Only in the event of a sudden appearance of a person or in the event of a provocation on his part, she can try to bite him. This cautious behavior is explained by the fact that it needs a lot of energy to reproduce the poison in conditions of changing temperatures.

reproduction

The mating season is in May, and offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. Viviparous viviparous - eggs develop and cubs hatch in the womb. Usually up to 8-12 juveniles appear, depending on the length of the female. It happens that at the time of childbirth, the female wraps around a tree or stump, leaving her tail in the air, “scattering” kites on the ground, which from the first moment begin an independent life. Juveniles are usually 15-20 cm long and are already poisonous. Many believe that only born individuals are more poisonous, but this is not true. It is also not true that juveniles are more aggressive. As soon as they are born, snakes usually molt. In the future, molting of young and adults occurs 1 - 2 times a month. Before their first hibernation in October-November, they never eat, because before hibernation they must digest all the food eaten in order to avoid metabolic problems.

Poison

The common viper is deadly poisonous, and its venom is similar to that of rattlesnakes. However, it produces a much smaller amount of poison compared to the latter, and for this reason is considered less dangerous. The bite is rarely fatal. However, the bitten person should seek immediate medical attention.

The composition of the poison includes high-molecular proteases of hemorrhagic, hemocoagulative and necrotizing action and low-molecular neurotropic cytotoxins. As a result of a bite, hemorrhagic edema, necrosis and hemorrhagic impregnation of tissues in the area of venom injection occur, accompanied by dizziness, lethargy, headache, nausea, shortness of breath. In the future, progressive shock of complex genesis, acute anemia, intravascular coagulation, and increased capillary permeability develop. In severe cases, dystrophic changes occur in the liver and kidneys.

In spring, viper venom is more toxic than in summer.

Enemies in nature

The main enemies of the viper in nature are storks, herons, kites, eagles and owls. On the ground hedgehogs, wild boars, or large rodents. Also, snakes often die under the hooves of cattle in pastures or at the hands of a person, including under the wheels of vehicles.

Notes

Literature

"Amphibians and reptiles of the USSR", A. G. Bannikov, I. S. Darevsky, A. K. Rustamov, ed. "Thought", 1971

Links

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There is nowhere to put brands, toadstool, scoundrel, reptile, scum, scoundrel, nowhere to put brands, infection, bitch, creature, bastard, bitch, daboya, filth, bastard, bastard, vulture, bitch, villain, snake, gyurza, rubbish, viper, scoundrel, viper, bastard... Dictionary of synonyms Handbook of homeopathy

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