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    Adult female Vipera darevskii - Site: Achkasar (2500 m. a.s.l.), Basin: Kaspian Sea-Arax-Akhuryan: Region: Shirak, Republic of Armenia.

     

    Vipera darevskii - Darevsky’s shield-headed viper (Vipera (Pelias) darevskii Vedmederja, Orlov & Tuniyev, 1986). – insufficiently explored species with unclear genesis, actually known only from N-W Armenia and included in IUCN Red List in category CR C2b. In this connection, for basing conservation of the genetic diversity of this viper in situ, and for clearing up the possible ways of its genesis, the detection of its new habitats is necessary.
    As the precut stage for resolving this objective, some possible habitats of Darevsky’s viper are identified. Identification of the presumed habitats in based on the following criteria of actual habitats: altitude range – 2400-3100 m above sea level; slope exposure - SSW–S–SSE which is equivalent to 45-50° from calibration contour lines of the map; slope steepness – 10-40°, which is equivalent to7-10 isolines per 10 mm. Taking into account also the hypothesis regarding the genesis of Darevsky’s viper as a hybrid resulting from cross-breeding among some representatives of complexes Vipera urisini – renardi – eriwanensis and Vipera kaznakovi – dinniki – pontica, the presumed habitats of Darevsky’s viper are situated near the northern border of the range of V. eriwanensis.                                                                                                   

    There are 2 plots of actual distribution of Darevsky’s viper according to literature data (Darevsky, 1957; Aghasyan, 1996), 2 plots where this viper was possibly registered according to personal comments of I.S. Darevsky (1996), and 64 plots of possible habitats presumed for the first time. Approximately 104 sq. km of potential habitats are situated in Armenia, (Javakhety Eghnakhagh Okuz and Ortul mountains), 63 sq. km – in Georgia (Javekhety and Eghnakhagh massives, Eldagh, Madatapa, Gilkhidagh, Gharakhach mountains) and 297 sq. km – in Turkey (Eghnakhagh, Aghbaba and Childir massives as well as Ijaret mountain). All mountain massives mentioned above are situated in the limits of Javakhety-Ashotsk physical-geographical region.
The continuation of this project is being planned.

    Similar simpatric species:
Coronella austriaca, Natrix natrix persa, Natrix tessellata, Vipera (Pelias) eriwanensis.

    Distribution in Armenia:
Altitudes: 2400-3100 m a.s.l.

    Administrative regions:
N-Shirak, (N-W Lory possible).

    Habitats:                                                                                 Open rocklands and moirains.

    Global distribution:
Javakhk-Ashotsk physical geographical region of Armenian upland.

    Countries:
Europe: NW Armenia, SC Georgia, NE Turkey (Kars, Artvin)

     Food:                                                                                     Microtus ssp., Chionomus nivalis Mart., Darevskia valentini, arthropods.

    Enemies:                                                                                                              Martes foina Erxl. sbsp. nehringi Sat., man, ( presumbaly birds).

    Parasites: No data.

    Known trend:                                                                                                    Not abjective data is available (presumably critically endangered).

/Tadevosyan T.L
Non Governmental Organization for Nature Protection, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia./ 

Startpage

Vipera dinniki

Vipera kaznakovi 

Vipera magnifica 

Vipera orlovi

Vipera darevskii 

Darevski`s shield-headed viper                                                               

                                                  

 The article and all photos are  friendly  allowed  by Dr. Tigran L.  Tadevosyan (Armenia).  

                                                                          

       Vipera darevskii adult male 



    Juveniles
 
   Vipera darevskii adult female
  

   Vipera darevskii adult female
 
  Vipera darevskii adult male



References:

Aghasyan A.L. 1996. [The Fauna of Snakes of Armenia and Nakhichevan]. PhD Thesis authoreferat, Yerevan, 34 pp.(In Russian)

Ananjeva N.B., Borkin L.Ya., Darevsky I.S., Orlov N.L., 1998. [Encyclopedy of The Russian Nature: Amphibians and Reptiles]. Moscow, ABF publishing, 351 pp. (In Russian)

Ananjeva, N.B., Orlov N.L., Khalikov R.G., Darevsky, I.S., Rjabov S.A., Barabanov A.V. 2004. [Atlas of Reptiles of Northern Eurasia], "Ivan Fedorov" Print, St. Pererbourg, Russia, 230 pp.(In Russian)

Darevsky I.S., 1957. [The Fauna of Reptiles of Armenia and Its Zoogeographical Analysis]. PhD Thesis, Yerevan, 468 pp.(In Russian)

Darevsky I.S., 1956. [A new species of the venomous snake, Vipera kaznakowi Nikolsky, for the fauna of Armenia]. Bulletin of the academy of sciences of Armenia, Yerevan, 9(12):127-130. (In Russian)

Geniez Ph., and Teynie A., 2005. Discovery of a population of the critically endangered Vipera darevskii Vedmederja, Orlov and Tuniyev, 1986) in Turkey with new elements on its identification (Reptilia, Squamata, Viperidae). Herpetozoa, 18, 3/4:

Orlov N.L. & B.S. Tuniyev, 1986. [present ranges, possible ways of their formation and phylogeny of the tree species of vipers from Eurosiberic group (V. kaznakowi complex) in the Caucasus]. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute, USSR Academy of Sciences, Leningrad, 157:104-135. (In Russian).

Tadevosyan T.L. 2002. Poisonous Snakes as an Ecological Risk Factor and The Ways of It's Neutralisation. // Proceed. Of III republican youth scientific conference "XXI century: Ecological science in Armenia", Yerevan, pp. 20-36.(In Armenian)

Tadevosyan T.L. 2003. Modern Antropogenic Impact on The Population of Darevsky's Viper (Pelias (Vipera sensu lato) darevskii Vedmederja, Orlov & Tunyev, 1986) in The Limits of Southern Part of Javakhety Ridge (Armenia). // Materials of Region. Sci. Conf. Consecrate 60-yaer of Inst. Zool. NAS RA, Yerevan, pp. 143-144. (In Russian).

Tadevosyan T.L., 2004. Maping of Presuming Range of Darevsky's Viper.// 8th Pushinskaja Scool-Conference of Young scientists. (In Russian).

Vedmederja V.I., 1984 [Range, variability and pecularities of ecology of the Caucasus viper]. Pp 8-9. In Species and its Productivity in the Habitat. Part V. Questions of herpetology, Sverdlovsk. (In Russian).

Vedmederja V.I., N.L. Orlov and B.S. Tuniyev, 1986.[On the taxonomy of three viper species of Vipera kaznakowi complex]. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute, Leningrad 157:55-61. (In Russian).