Armenian Vipera xanthina ГАДЮКА АРМЯНСКАЯ

Описание: ARMENIAN ASP (Vipera xanthina) reaching 1.5 m in length, the largest of the vipers. Her head was covered with small scales and schitochkami only supraorbital shield large. To grayish-brown trunk stands a clear picture of the big orange or brown spots with a dark fringe, often coalescing into a broad band of meandering along the ridge. Two dark oblique stripes on the nape stand on a lighter background of the head. Ventral side is covered with small blackish spots, and the tail is yellowish-orange below. It is widespread in Turkey, North-West Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel. In our country it is found in the Armenia and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. Here comes the eastern subspecies (V. x. Raddei), rarely reaching lengths of more than 1 m. In the extreme north-west of the range, this snake gets in Europe: it can be found at the Bosphorus, near Istanbul. Lives in the mountains at an altitude of 300-9000 Ft above sea level on rocky slopes with sparse shrub or mountain-steppe vegetation. Food Armenian viper consists of small mammals, birds, lizards and insects. Juveniles feed mainly on locusts. In April - May, Armenian vipers leave the winter shelter in the clefts of the rocks. During this time you see them near large concentrations of wintering. Soon they begin to mate and then settled on the surrounding area. In August, females give birth to 5-10 young in length about 20 sm.