Vipera aspis francisciredi

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Vipera aspis francisciredi
ViperaAspis 1469AE.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Vipera
Species:
V. aspis
Subspecies:
V. a. francisciredi
Trinomial name
Vipera aspis francisciredi
Laurenti, 1768
Synonyms [1]
  • Vipera Francisci RediLaurenti, 1768
  • [Coluber] Redi— Gmelin, 1788
  • Vipera Redi— Sonnini & Latreille, 1801
  • Vipera aspis var. rufa
    Bonaparte, 1834
  • Vipera aspis var. fusca
    Bonaparte, 1834
  • [Vipera aspis] var. rufescens
    De Betta, 1853 ( nomen nudum )
  • [Vipera aspis] var. cineria
    De Betta, 1853 (nomen nudum)
  • Vipera aspis var. vulgaris Massalongo, 1853
  • Vipera aspis var. plumbeaMassalongo, 1854
  • Vipera aspis var. cinera
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. cinerascens
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. rufescens
    — De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. brunnea
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. fulva
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. rufiventris
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var.
    fusca-plumbeiventris
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. Isabellina
    De Betta, 1857
  • Vipera aspis var. redii
    — Calabresi, 1924
  • Vipera aspis francisciredi
    — Kramer, 1971
  • Vipera aspis heinzdischeki Sochurek, 1979
  • Vipera (Rhinaspis) aspis francisredi— Obst, 1983
Common names: Central Italian asp. [2]

Vipera aspis francisciredi is a venomous subspecies of the European asp [3] endemic to northern and central Italy and adjacent Croatia, Slovenia, and Switzerland. [4]

Contents

Etymology

The subspecific name, francisciredi, is in honor of Francesco Redi, an Italian physician who was a pioneer in experimental toxinology.

Description

The head is distinctly swollen behind the eyes and upper lips; in adults, this feature is clearly visible when viewed from above. [4]

Regarding the color pattern, many examples of this subspecies have a white or cream-colored spot near the outer edge of each ventral scale; these spots are smaller in V. a. aspis (if at all present), but much more apparent in V. a. francisciredi. [4]

Geographic range

V. a. francisciredi near Pienza, Italy ViperaAspis 1468AE1.jpg
V. a. francisciredi near Pienza, Italy

Street (1979) describes this subspecies as inhabiting most of Italy, where it is the most common and widely distributed venomous snake. It also occurs in the Swiss canton of Ticino, south of the Monte Ceneri Pass, but is not found west of nearby Lake Maggiore. Also in the north, in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, it can be found as far north as Meran, but is not found in Austria, and as far east as Gorizia (on the border with Slovenia). In the south of Italy, it is absent from Basilicata and Calabria. [5]

In the former Yugoslavia, it is a rare inhabitant of the Julian Alps (Pozzi, 1966). There have been reports of specimens from Ripanj near Belgrade, Jahorin in Bosnia and other parts of "Yugoslavia", but some of these may have been confused with V. berus bosniensis . [5] Nevertheless, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) describes the range of this subspecies as stretching from southern Switzerland, northern and central Italy, to Slovenia and northwestern Croatia. [6]

The type locality listed by Laurenti (1768) for Vipera Francisci Redi (= V. a. francisciredi) is "Austriaco & Italico" (= Austria and Italy). [1]

Conservation status

The whole species is classified as Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2008). [7] This subspecies is however considered Endangered (EN) in Switzerland [8] due to its very limited occupation area.

Related Research Articles

<i>Cerastes</i> (genus) Genus of snakes

Cerastes is a genus of small, venomous vipers found in the deserts and semi-deserts of northern North Africa eastward through Arabia and Iran. Three species are currently recognized by ITIS, and an additional recently described species is recognized by the Reptile Database. Common names for members the genus include horned vipers, North African desert vipers, and cerastes vipers.

<i>Vipera</i> Genus of snakes

Vipera is a genus of vipers. It has a very wide range, being found from North Africa to just within the Arctic Circle and from Great Britain to Pacific Asia. The Latin name vīpera is possibly derived from the Latin words vivus and pario, meaning "alive" and "bear" or "bring forth"; likely a reference to the fact that most vipers bear live young. Currently, 21 species are recognized. Like all other vipers, the members of this genus are venomous.

<i>Vipera berus bosniensis</i> Subspecies of snake

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<i>Vipera aspis</i> Species of snake

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<i>Cerastes vipera</i> Species of snake

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Macrovipera lebetinus transmediterranea is a viper subspecies endemic to North Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.

Vipera ammodytes montandoni is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to Bulgaria and southern Romania.

<i>Vipera transcaucasiana</i> Species of snake

Vipera transcaucasiana is a venomous viper species endemic to parts of Georgia and northern Turkish Anatolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vipera aspis atra</span> Subspecies of snake

Vipera aspis atra is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to France, Switzerland and Italy.

Vipera aspis hugyi is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to southern Italy.

Vipera aspis zinnikeri is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to the Pyrenees region of Spain and France.

Vipera berus sachalinensis is a viper subspecies endemic to Asia. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebanon viper</span> Species of reptile

The Lebanon viper, also known as Bornmueller's viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to Western Asia. There are no recognized subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Bulgar viper</span> Species of snake

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<i>Vipera dinniki</i> Species of snake

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<i>Vipera latastei gaditana</i> Subspecies of snake

Vipera latastei gaditana is a viper subspecies endemic to southern Spain and Portugal, as well as North Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.

<i>Vipera lotievi</i> Species of snake

Vipera lotievi, commonly known as the Caucasian meadow viper, is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.

<i>Vipera nikolskii</i> Species of snake

Vipera nikolskii is a venomous viper species endemic to Ukraine, eastern Romania, and southwestern Russia. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Vipera seoanei cantabrica is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to the Cantabrian Mountains in Spain.

<i>Vipera ursinii</i> Species of snake

Vipera ursinii is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. It is a very rare species, which is in danger of extinction. This species is commonly called the meadow viper. It is found in France, Italy, and Greece as well as much of eastern Europe. Several subspecies are recognized. Beyond the highly threatened European population, poorly known populations exist as far to the east as Kazakhstan and northwestern China.

References

  1. 1 2 McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN   1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN   1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. ↑ Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN   0-8069-6460-X.
  3. ↑ "Vipera aspis francisciredi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System . Retrieved 15 August 2006.
  4. 1 2 3 Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar. 359 pp. ISBN   0-89464-877-2.
  5. 1 2 Street D. 1979. The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. ISBN   0-7134-1374-3.
  6. ↑ Vipera aspis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database . Accessed 12 December 2007.
  7. ↑ Vipera aspis at IUCN Red List. Accessed 31 July 2020.
  8. ↑ OFEFP red list. Accessed 31 July 2020.

Further reading

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