- Common names: asp, asp viper, European asp, aspic viper, more.
Vipera aspis is a
venomousA venomous snake is a snake that uses modified saliva, snake venom, usually delivered through highly specialized teeth such as hollow fangs, for the purpose of prey immobilization and self-defense...
viperThe 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...
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
found in southwestern
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. Bites from this species can be more severe than from the European adder,
V. berusVipera berus 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. They are not regarded as highly dangerous; bites can be very painful, but are seldom fatal. The specific name, berus, is New Latin and was at...
; not only can they be very painful, but according to Stemmler (1971), about 4% of all untreated bites are fatal. The specific name,
aspis, is a Greek word that means "viper." Five
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Description
Grows to an average length of 60-65 cm. Males reach a maximum of 85 cm, females rarely more than 75 cm. Males, however, are a little slimmer than females. The tail is very short: one-seventh to one-ninth of total body length in females, and one-sixth to one-eighth in males.
The head is broad, triangular and quite distinct from the neck. The tip of the snout is slightly but distinctly upturned. The rostral scale is generally higher than it is wide, touching 2 to 3 scales on the upper side of the snout. Dorsally, the snout is flat with distinct and slightly raised sharp margins. The nasal scale is single (hardly ever divided) and separated from the rostral by a single
nasorostral scaleIn reptiles, the nasorostral is an enlarged and usually paired scale, just behind the rostral ....
. The crown is covered with numerous small and irregular scales of different sizes that are mostly smooth, but sometimes slightly keeled. Frontal and parietal scales are usually not present, but if so, they are small and irregularly shaped, with the frontal separated from the supraoculars by 2 scale rows. The supraocular scales are large and distinct, separated by 4-7 scale rows. There are 10-12 (rarely 8-18) small circumorbital scales below the supraocular. The eye is separated from the supralabials by 2 (rarely 3) scale rows. The vertical diameter of the eye is about the same as the distance between the eye and the mouth. There are 9-13 supralabials. The 4th-5th supralabials (rarely 4th-6th or 5th-6th) are separated from the eye by 2 (rarely 3) rows of small scales, but sometimes there is a single scale between the 4th supralabial and the eye. Generally, the
temporal scalesIn reptiles, the temporal scales are those scales on the side of the head between the parietal scales and the supralabial scales, and behind the postocular scales.There are two types of temporal scales:...
are smooth, but sometimes slightly keeled.
Midbody, there are 21-23 (rarely 19 or 25) rows of
dorsal scalesIn snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...
. These are strongly keeled, except for the outermost rows that vary and are sometimes smooth. There are 134-170
ventral scalesIn snakes, the ventral scales are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that contacts the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side...
. Subspecies
V. a. aspis averages fewer than 150 ventrals, while
V. a. atraVipera aspis atra is a venomous viper subspecies found in France, Switzerland and Italy.-Geographic range:Western Switzerland, northwestern Italy and southeastern France. Mallow et al...
averages more. The
anal scaleIn snakes, the anal scale is the scale just in front of and covering the cloacal opening. This scale can be either single or paired . When paired, the division is oblique. It is preceded by the ventral scales and followed by the subcaudal scales....
is single. Males have 32-49 subcaudals, females 30-43. The subcaudal scales are paired.
The dorsal markings vary strongly, but only rarely take the form of a clear zigzag, as in
V. berusVipera berus 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. They are not regarded as highly dangerous; bites can be very painful, but are seldom fatal. The specific name, berus, is New Latin and was at...
.
Geographic range
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
,
AndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of ...
, northeastern
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, extreme southwestern
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
,
MonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a small sovereign city-state located in South Western Europe on the northern central coast of the Mediterranean Sea, having a land border on three sides only with France, and being about away from Italy. Its size is just under 2 km² with an...
, the islands of
ElbaElba is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. It is the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, located between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Ligurian Sea, and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia. Elba and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago...
and
MontecristoMontecristo is a small Italian islet, approximately 4.3 kilometers across at its widest point, located about halfway between Corsica and mainland Italy; south of Elba and west of Giglio. It is part of the Tuscan Archipelago. The islet is the tip of a volcano...
,
SicilySicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. Several much smaller islands surrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily....
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
San MarinoThe Most Serene Republic of San Marino is a country situated in the Apennine Mountains. It is a landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 60 km² with an estimated population of almost 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
and northwestern
SloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north...
. The original type locality was listed simply as "
GalliaGallia may refer to:*Gaul , the region of Western Europe occupied by present-day France, Belgium and other neighbouring countries...
." However, Schwarz (1936) proposed that it be restricted to "
PoitouPoitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
[Frankreich]" (Poitou, France).
In August-October 2006, a number of specimens were discovered in a wooded area near the town of Portugaal in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
(south of
RotterdamRotterdam ; city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, situated in the west of the Netherlands. The municipality is the second largest in the country, with a population of 584,046 as of January 2007...
). Although they were doing quite well, the species is not native in this country. It is likely that one or more escaped or were set loose in the area.
Conservation status
This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001). So listed due to its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
However, subspecies
V. a. aspis is categorized as Critically Endangered in
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
,
V. a. atraVipera aspis atra is a venomous viper subspecies found in France, Switzerland and Italy.-Geographic range:Western Switzerland, northwestern Italy and southeastern France. Mallow et al...
is categorized as Vulnerable, and
V. a. franciscirediVipera aspis francisciredi is a venomous viper subspecies found in central Italy. Indeed, it inhabits most of Italy, where it is the most common and widely distributed venomous snake.-Description:...
is categorized as Endangered (Monney and Meyer, 2005).
In general, the species is also listed as protected (Appendix III) under the
Berne ConventionThe 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....
.
Habitat
This species has a few clearly defined and relatively specific habitat requirements. It needs warm areas that are exposed to the sun, structured vegetation and comparatively dry soils. In
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, it is often found in areas with low mountains or hills, notably in limestone regions, but sometimes occurs in lower plains. It has a preference for vegetated areas or environments with at least some cover. Here it can be found on sunny slopes, on scrublands, in glades, in mountain meadows, forest clearings, at the borders of woods, in rubbish dumps and in stone quarries. In Italy, it occurs in mesic chestnut/oak woodlands and often near streams. Although it is not really associated with high altitudes, in the
PyreneesThe Pyrenees are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain...
it has been found at well over 2,100 m above sea level.
Venom
A bite from this species can be more severe than from
V. berusVipera berus 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. They are not regarded as highly dangerous; bites can be very painful, but are seldom fatal. The specific name, berus, is New Latin and was at...
and is very painful. According to Stemmler (1971), about 4% of all untreated bites are fatal. Lombardi and Bianco (1974) mention that this species is responsible for 90% of all cases of snakebite in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
.
The toxicity of the venom varies. Stemmler (1971) states that the population in Passwang district,
SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
have the strongest venom. Compared to venoms from other species, it is relatively toxic. Brown (1973) gives
LD50In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 , LC50 or LCt50 of a toxic substance or radiation is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population...
values of 1.0 mg/kg IV and 1.0-2.0 mg/kg SC. Tu et al. (1969) reports 4.7 mg/kg IM. Venom yield is relatively low. Boquet (1964) reported a daily extraction figure of 9-10 mg.
Envenomation symptoms include rapidly spreading acute pain, followed by
edemaEdema or oedema , formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities of the body...
and discoloration. Severe
haemorrhagic necrosisNecrosis is the premature death of cells and living tissue. Necrosis is caused by external factors, such as infection, toxins , or trauma. This is in contrast to apoptosis, which is a naturally occurring cause of cellular death...
may occur within a few hours. Vision may be severely impaired, most likely due to degradation of blood and blood vessels in the eyes. The venom has both
coagulantCoagulant can refer to:* flocculation* coagulation agent...
and
anticoagulantAn anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation; that is, it stops blood from clotting. A group of pharmaceuticals called anticoagulants can be used in vivo as a medication for thrombotic disorders...
effects. Anticoagulant activity is apparently stronger than that of
Daboia russeliiDaboia is a monotypic genus created for a venomous viper species, D. russelii, which is found in Asia throughout the Indian subcontinent, much of Southeast Asia, southern China and Taiwan. Within much of its range, this species is easily the most dangerous viperid snake and a major cause of...
. The venom may also affect
glomerularA glomerulus is a capillary tuft surrounded by Bowman's capsule in nephrons of the vertebrate kidney. It receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole of the renal circulation. Unlike most other capillary beds, the glomerulus drains into an efferent arteriole rather than a venule...
structure, which can lead to death due to
renal failureRenal failure or kidney failure is a situation in which the kidneys fail to function adequately. It is divided into acute and chronic forms; either form may be due to a large number of other medical problems....
.
According to Cheymol et al. (1973), the venom does not affect neuromuscular contractions in
in vitroA procedure performed in vitro is performed not in a living organism but in a controlled environment, such as in a test tube or Petri dish...
preparations. Lack of this
neurotoxicA neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels.Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
affect would indicate that fatal cases involving the cardiovascular system are the result of direct muscle injury or reduced oxygen exchange. On the other hand, Gonzalez (1991) reported that in two cases the victims developed neurotoxic symptoms, including difficulty in breathing and swallowing, as well as
paralysisParalysis is the complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Paralysis can cause loss of feeling or loss of mobility in the affected area.-Causes:Paralysis is most often caused by damage to the nervous system, especially the spinal cord...
of the bitten limbs.
Subspecies
| Subspecies |
Taxon author |
Common name |
Geographic range |
| V. a. aspis |
(LinnaeusCarl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature...
, 1758) |
European asp |
Found in most of FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, except those areas bordering the English ChannelThe English Channel is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest, to only in the Strait of Dover...
. On the Atlantic coast, it is found in Île de RéÎle de Ré is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
and OléronÎle d'Oléron is an island off the Atlantic coast of France , on the southern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait...
, but not south of the Gironde estuaryThe Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux....
. Mostly absent east of the Moselle RiverThe Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining it at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
and from much of the Mediterranean region, but does occur near MontpellierMontpellier is a city in southern France. It is the capital of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as well as the Hérault department.-Population:...
and in Alpes-MaritimesAlpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BCE, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1 st century CE with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
. A disjunct subpopulation exists in the PyreneesThe Pyrenees are a range of mountains in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain...
, notably in SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
southwest of BilbaoBilbao is the largest city in the Basque Country in northern Spain and the capital of the province of Biscay ....
. In GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
it occurs in the southern Black ForestThe Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
along the SwissSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
border, but is rare in this area. Common in northwestern ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
and western SwitzerlandSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
. |
| V. a. atra Vipera aspis atra is a venomous viper subspecies found in France, Switzerland and Italy.-Geographic range:Western Switzerland, northwestern Italy and southeastern France. Mallow et al...
|
Meisner, 1820 |
Black asp |
Parts of Switzerland. |
V. a. franciscirediVipera aspis francisciredi is a venomous viper subspecies found in central Italy. Indeed, it inhabits most of Italy, where it is the most common and widely distributed venomous snake.-Description:...
|
Laurenti Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti was an Austrian naturalist of Italian origin .Laurenti is considered the auctor of the class Reptilia through his authorship of Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena on the poisonous function of reptiles and amphibians...
, 1768 |
Central Italian asp |
Central Italy. |
| V. a. hugyi Vipera aspis hugyi is a venomous viper subspecies found only in Italy.-Description:Usually marked with a fused zigzag stripe and a distinctly raised snout. Specimens from Montecristo Island, sometimes referred to as V. a...
|
Schinz Heinrich Rudolf Schinz was a Swiss physician and naturalist.Schinz was born at Zurich and studied medicine at Würzburg and Jena, returning to Zurich in 1798 to practice...
, 1833 |
Southern Italian asp |
The south of Italy. |
| V. a. zinnikeri Vipera aspis zinnikeri is a venomous viper subspecies found in the Pyrenees region of Spain and France. It was named after a Swiss herpetologist.-Description:...
|
Kramer, 1958 |
Gascony asp |
GasconyGascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, AndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of ...
and nearby Spain. |
External links