:''Common names: Siberian pit viper, Gloyd HK, Conant R (1990). ''Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review''. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 614 pp. 52 plates. LCCN 89-50342. . Halys viper, Gotch AF (1986). ''Reptiles – Their Latin Names Explained''. Poole, UK: Blandford Press. 176 pp. . Halys pit viper,Steward JW (1971). ''The Snakes of Europe''. Cranbury, New Jersey: Associated University Press (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press). 238 pp. LCCCN 77-163307. .

more More or Mores may refer to: Computing * MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS * more (command), a shell command * MORE protocol, a routing protocol * Missouri Research and Education Network Music Albums * ''More!'' (album), by Booka ...

.'' ''Gloydius halys'' is a venomous

pitviper The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfa ...

species found within a wide range that stretches across Asia, from Russia, east of the Urals, eastwards through

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Five

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are currently recognized, including the nominotypical form described here.

Description

''Gloydius halys'' grows to a maximum total length of , which was for a female, with an included tail length of . The largest male on record measured in total length, which included a tail length of . The body build is described as moderately stout with a snout that is slightly upturned when viewed from the side. Dorsally, ''G. halys'' is grayish, pale brown, reddish, or yellowish, with large dark spots or crossbars, the borders of which are serrated. One or two lateral series of smaller dark spots are present. There is a wide dark stripe behind the eye, bordered by light stripes both above and below. The venter is whitish, speckled with gray or brown. The strongly keeled dorsal scales are arranged in 23 rows at midbody. The

ventrals In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges 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 cont ...

number 149-174. The anal plate is entire. The subcaudals number 31-44, and are divided (paired).

Common names

Common names for ''G. halys'' include Siberian pit viper, Halys viper, Halys pit viper, Pallas's pit viper, Asiatic pit viper, Asiatic moccasin, shchitomordnik, Brown JH (1973). ''Toxicology and Pharmacology of Venoms from Poisonous Snakes''. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas. 184 pp. LCCCN 73-229. . Pallas's viper, Pallas pit viper, Korean pit viper, Mongolian pit viper.U.S. Navy (1991). ''Poisonous Snakes of the World''. New York: U.S. Government / Dover Publications Inc. 203 pp. .

Geographic range

''Gloydius halys'' is found in Russia, east of the Ural Mountains through Siberia, Iran, Mongolia to northern and central China, as well as the southern Ryukyu Islands of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. According to Gloyd and Conant (1990), the type locality given is "Salt Lake near the Lugaskoi Sawod (factory) on the Upper Yenisey" (Siberia, Russia). Redefined by Bour (1993) as "Naryn or Ryn Peski desert, near the Russia-Kazakhstan border".

Subspecies

Etymology

The subspecific name, ''boehmei'', is in honor of German herpetologist

Wolfgang Böhme Wolfgang Böhme (born 17 December 1949) is an East German former handball player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (germa ...

. Beolens B, Watkins M,

Grayson M Grayson may refer to: Places Canada * Grayson, Saskatchewan * Rural Municipality of Grayson No. 184, Saskatchewan United States * Grayson, California * Grayson, Georgia ** Grayson High School * Grayson, Kentucky * Grayson, Louisiana * Gray ...

(2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Gloydius halys boehmei'', p. 30).

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q727632 halys Snakes of Asia Reptiles of Afghanistan Reptiles of Azerbaijan Snakes of China Reptiles of Iran Reptiles of Mongolia Reptiles of Central Asia Reptiles of Russia Fauna of Siberia Reptiles described in 1776 Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas