''Montivipera albizona'', the central Turkish mountain viper,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 359 pp. . is a

viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

species endemic to the mountainous regions of central Turkey. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. No

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.

Description

The maximum total length is a little less than (for a male), although most specimens are smaller. The head is relatively large and distinct from the neck. The snout is rounded and covered with small, keeled scales. The nostril is located within a single

nasal scale In reptiles, the nasal scale refers to the scale that encloses the nostril.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . Sometimes this ...

. There are 2-3 apical scales in contact with the

rostral Rostral may refer to: Anatomy * Rostral (anatomical term), situated toward the oral or nasal region * Rostral bone, in ceratopsian dinosaurs * Rostral organ, of certain fish * Rostral scale, in snakes and scaled reptiles Other uses * Rostral colu ...

. There is normally 1 canthal scale on either side of the head. The large

supraoculars In scaled reptiles, supraocular scales are (enlarged) scales on the crown immediately above the eye.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. ...

are in broad contact with the eye. There are 9-13 circumorbitals. Two scale rows separate the eye from the

supralabials In reptiles, the supralabial scales, also called upper-labials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the upper jaw. They do not include the median scaleWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. Handbook of Snakes. Comstock Publishing Associates ( ...

, of which there are 7–10. There are usually 10-13

sublabials In reptiles, the sublabial scales, also called lower-labials or infralabials, are those scales that border the mouth opening along the lower jaw. They do not include the median scaleWright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes''. Comstock Publis ...

. The temporal scales are keeled. Midbody there are 23 rows of keeled dorsal scales. There are 2-3

preventral scales Preventral scales are snake scales positioned anterior to the ventral scales and are wider than they are long, but do not come into contact with the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side of the body. Campbell JA, Lamar WW. 2004. ''The Ven ...

, followed by 149-155

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 ...

. The anal scale is single and followed by 23-30 paired subcaudals. The color pattern consists of a grayish ground color. Running along the midline from the back of the head to the tail is a series of about 30 transversed and pronounced white- and black-edged narrow bands separated by a brick-red brown zone 3-4 scales long and 9-12 scales wide. Lateral spots may be small and in a double series. There are usually two large black, oblique spots on top of the head, as well as a dark stripe running from the corner of the eye back to the angle of the mouth or beyond. The belly is grayish and finely speckled with darker spots.

Geographic range

Central Turkey. The type locality given is "from the regions of the Kulmac Daglari mountain range, central Turkey, close to the Anatolian diagonal".

Conservation status

This species is classified as Endangered (EN) according to the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

Red List of Threatened Species with the following criteria: B1+2e, C2a (v2.3, 1994). This indicates that the extent of its occurrence is estimated to be less than or the area of its occupancy is estimated to be less than . Estimates also indicate that the populations are severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than five locations, and that a continuing decline is inferred, observed or projected, in the number of mature individuals. In addition, the total population is estimated to number less than 2,500 mature individuals with no subpopulation containing more than 250 such specimens. Year assessed: 1996. It is also listed as a strictly protected species (Appendix II) under the Berne Convention.Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, Appendix II
a
Council of Europe
Accessed 9 October 2006.

Habitat

Very rocky and dry mountain slopes and fields.

Taxonomy

After Nilson et al. (1990) first described ''M. albizona'' as a separate species that is parapatric with '' M. xanthina'', a group of opponents led by Schätti soon argued that ''V. albizona'', '' M. wagneri'' and '' M. bulgardaghica'' were more likely conspecific, belonging to the polymorphic species, ''M. xanthina''. According to Bettex (1993), it was also difficult to tell ''M. albizona'' from ''M. wagneri'' based on color pattern alone. However, a study published by Mulder (1994) came out in support of Nilson et al. (1990) and asserted that the color pattern of ''M. albizona'' is actually quite distinct from that of ''M. wagneri''.Mulder J. 1994. Additional information on ''Vipera albizona''. Deinsea 1: 77-83.
PDF
a
Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam
Accessed 2 October 2006.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q138438 albizona Reptiles of Turkey Reptiles described in 1990 Endemic fauna of Turkey