Montivipera raddei

Montivipera raddei or Armenian viper is a species of viper, a venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, and possibly also Iraq. Two subspecies are recognized.[2]

Montivipera raddei
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Montivipera
Species:
M. raddei
Binomial name
Montivipera raddei
Boettger, 1890
Synonyms[2]
  • Vipera xanthina
    Strauch, 1869 (non Gray, 1849)
    (nomen nudum)
  • Vipera xanthina
    — Strauch, 1873
    (nomen nudum)
  • Vipera Raddei
    Boettger, 1890
  • Vipera raddii [sic]
    Boulenger, 1896
  • Coluber raddei
    — Nikolsky, 1916
  • Vipera lebetina raddei
    — Schwarz, 1936
  • Vipera xanthina raddei
    — Mertens, 1952
  • Daboia (Daboia) raddei raddei
    — Obst, 1983
  • Daboia raddei
    — Engelmann et al., 1985
  • Vipera raddei
    — Nilson & Andrén, 1986
  • Vipera raddei kurdistanica
    Nilson & Andrén, 1986
  • Vipera raddei
    — Latifi, 1991[3]
  • Montivipera raddei
    — Werning & Wolf, 2007
  • Montivipera raddei
    — Wallach et al., 2014

Etymology

The specific name, raddei, is in honor of German naturalist Gustav Radde.[4]

Common names

Common names for M. raddei include rock viper, Radde's mountain viper, Kurdistan viper (Vipera raddei kurdistanica),[5] Armenian mountain viper,[6] Armenian viper,[7] Radde's viper,[8] Armenian mountain adder,[9] and Zanjhani viper.[10]

Description

Adult males of M. raddei grow to a maximum total length (including tail) of 99 cm (39 in). Adult females are smaller with a maximum total length of 79 cm (31 in).[6]

Geographic range

Montivipera raddei is found in Eastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and probably Iraqi Kurdistan. This species is parapatric or slightly sympatric with M. wagneri in the Aras river valley, Kars Province, 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).[3]

Conservation status

Montivipera raddei 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).[11] 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.[12]

It is, however, listed as a protected species (Appendix III) under the Berne Convention.[13]

Taxonomy

Montivipera raddei is apparently closely related to Montivipera r. albicornuta and M. latifii; together they sometimes form the Montivipera raddei complex.[3] There are two subspecies: the nominate from Armenia, Azerbaijan, eastern Turkey, northwest Iran, and adjacent Turkmenistan, and M. r. kurdistanica from southeast Turkey and adjacent Iraq and Iran.[2]

References
  1. Göran Nilson, Claus Andrén, Aziz Avci, Ferdi Akarsu (2009). "Montivipera raddei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2009: e.T22993A9406370. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009.RLTS.T22993A9406370.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Species Montivipera raddei at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
  3. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré TA (1999). Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  4. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Vipera raddei, p. 215).
  5. "Venomous Snakes in Iraq". Archived from the original on 2017-05-22. Retrieved 2017-05-03.
  6. Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G (2003). True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. ISBN 0-89464-877-2.
  7. Mehrtens JM (1987). Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  8. Gotch AF (1986). Reptiles – Their Latin Names Explained. Poole, UK: Blandford Press. 176 pp. ISBN 0-7137-1704-1.
  9. Brown JH (1973). Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. ISBN 0-398-02808-7
  10. Latifi (1991).
  11. Montivipera raddei at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 2 September 2007.
  12. 1994 Categories & Criteria (version 2.3) at the IUCN Red List. Accessed 2 September 2007.
  13. Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Appendix III at Council of Europe. Accessed 9 October 2006.

Further reading
  • Boettger O (1890). "Eine neue Viper aus Armenien ". Zoologischer Anzeiger 13: 62-64. ("Vipera Raddei n. sp."). (in German).
  • Boulenger GA (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the ... Viperidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I-XXV. ("Vipera raddii [sic]", p. 487).
  • Latifi, Mahmoud (1991). The Snakes of Iran. Oxford, Ohio: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 167 pp. ISBN 0-916984-22-2. (Vipera raddei, Zanjhani viper, p. 134).
  • Nilson G, Andrén C (1986). "The mountain vipers of the middle east: The Vipera xanthina complex". Bonner Zoologische Monographien 20: 1-90.
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