Vipera aspis hugyi

Vipera aspis hugyi is a venomous viper subspecies[4] endemic to southern Italy.[5]

Vipera aspis hugyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Vipera
Species:
V. aspis
Subspecies:
V. a. hugyi
Trinomial name
Vipera aspis hugyi
Schinz, 1833
Synonyms[1]
  • Vipera Hugyi Schinz, 1833
  • Vipera Hugyii Schinz, 1833
  • Vipera Heegeri Schreiber, 1875
  • V[ipera]. Hugii F. Müller, 1880
  • Vipera aspis var. hugii
    — De Betta, 1883
  • Vipera aspis var. hugyi
    — Schreiber, 1912
  • Vipera latastei var. hugyi
    — Calabresi, 1924
  • Vipera aspis forma trans. rudolphi-italica
    A.F. Reuss, 1924
  • Vipera aspis hugyi
    — Mertens & L. Müller, 1928
  • Rhinaspis (Latasteopara) ocellata hugii
    — A.F. Reuss, 1935
  • Vipera ammodytes hugyi
    — Schwarz, 1936
  • Vipera aspis montecristi Mertens, 1956
  • Vipera (Rhinaspis) aspis hugyi — Obst, 1983
  • Vipera (Rhinaspis) aspis montecristi — Obst, 1983
Common names: Southern Italian asp,[2] South-Italian asp viper,[3] more.

Description

Usually, it is marked with a fused zigzag stripe and has a distinctly raised snout. Specimens from Montecristo Island, sometimes referred to as V. a. montecristi, are similar, but with a reduced tendency for the dorsal markings to fuse.[6]

Common names

The species is also known as the Southern Italian asp,[2] the South-Italian asp viper,[3] or Hugy's viper.[7] Previously, several other common names were used to describe a subspecies that is now part of the synonymy of this form, the Monte Cristo viper[2] or Monte Cristo asp viper[3] for Vipera aspis montecristi.

Geographic range

It is found in Italy in Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Montecristo Island.[5]

References
  1. McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Washington, District of Columbia: Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  3. Steward JW. 1971. The Snakes of Europe. Cranbury, New Jersey: Associated University Press (Fairleigh Dickinson University Press). 238 pp. LCCCN 77-163307. ISBN 0-8386-1023-4.
  4. "Vipera aspis hugyi". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 August 2006.
  5. Vipera aspis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 12 December 2007.
  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. 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.

Further reading
  • Schinz HR. 1833. Naturgeschichte und Abbildungen der Reptilien. Schaffhausen, Switzerland: Brodtmann. iv + 240 pp. + 102 plates. ("Vipera Hugyi", p. 179.)
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