Quote:
Originally Posted by Venomhunter
Yes, it looks like a Vipera sp. To me, not very good pictures but i know Vipera ammodytes and Vipera berus are both endemic to Croatia.
They can be brown/reddish and have a zig zag pattern on their back, and they are sexually dimorphic so this is probably a female.
The head isn't very wide on most Vipera species unlike the crotalids you guys have in the US, however their venom is more potent then that of the crotalids you've got there.
So yes, if it is a Vipera sp. And i think it is because i also work with them, then it is venomous and you have to watch out. Do not try to capture it but either leave it alone or call animal rescue/control to have it removed.
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Ignoring the pattern for a moment (it doesn't appear to be even close to the pattern of
V. ammodytes or
V. berus), consider the length vs girth of the animal. Remarkably long and skinny for a
Vipera, no? I realize a
Vipera head is going to be narrow relative to a
Crotalus, but this animals head is not just narrow. It is very small relative to what I would expect to see from
Vipera, it appears to be hardly even distinct from the neck. The markings on the back of the head/neck do not seem consistent with
Vipera either. While I do feel this is a colubrid, obviously, with the identity of the animal in question I do agree it should be treated with caution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Len88
Thanks for the info. Apologies for the low quality pic. I took it with my phone rather quickly. I saw this snake in my backyard. I live the city of Zagreb but up against a mountain. Is it usual for such a viper to come to a populated area? Thanks again for any insight you can offer.
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The pictures are really pretty good, it's just that the forum compresses them so much is is difficult to make out the important features of the animal. If you could upload them to a photo hosting site such as Photobucket and link them they would be much better resolution.
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