Ordinary viper is a poisonous snake, from 35 to 50 cm long, which lives in the south of Russia, in its European part, in the Altai Territory, as well as in European countries and Northeast China.
This viper can be of different colors: silver, light gray, yellow, brown. Belly - dark gray, black color. The tip of her tail is lighter, usually lemon. But a distinctive feature of the snake is a broken zigzag line on the back with a number of longitudinal spots.
The head of the viper has a flat, which is much wider than the neck, and the tail is short, ending with a hard tip. An adult male has a length of half a meter, the length of the female reaches 70-80 cm. The eyes of male vipers are large and round, bright, fiery red, and in females they are slightly darker - reddish-brown. The pupils can enlarge and contract, which is not characteristic of reptiles.
Regarding the habitat, the snake is not picky: it can live in deserts and forests, in swamps and mountains, in fields and steppes. For her, only the presence of bright light and food is essential.
But although the ordinary viper loves light and warmth, it does not belong to those reptiles that are active during the day. On the contrary, in good weather, it becomes slower, basking for a long time in the sun, and when it gets dark, it crawls out to hunt.
Especially the adder adores swamps and the surrounding area - here there can be innumerable numbers. Vipers live in some kind of hole or crevice in the soil, between stones, tree roots. However, there must be an open space near this shelter so that the reptile can take its favorite sunbaths.
As food, vipers prefer animals with a stable body temperature (warm-blooded), especially mice. Small rodents are a necessary product in their diet. In the process of hunting, an ordinary viper can get its prey even underground. Certain types of birds make nests on the ground, therefore, bird eggs and small birds often become victims of cold-blooded hunters. Frogs and lizards are food for vipers only in extreme cases.
In winter, the common viper usually sleeps, intertwined with the body in one big ball with the bodies of its relatives. If you disturb this ball, then the poisonous reptiles randomly, slowly begin to crawl, sticking out a forked tongue. Summer for these snakes comes in the month of April, but sometimes in March they are already active.
The pairing process of vipers usually occurs when favorable warm weather sets in. The number of cubs that is born is determined by the age of the female.
After birth, small vipers creep. The mother is very concerned about the safety of future offspring, in the literal sense of the word “loses her mind” from the instinct of preserving the laying of eggs. Therefore, while guarding the nest, she rushes at everything that catches her eye: from a living creature to a stick and even her own shadow. And, although her attacks are often in vain, the viper will by no means retreat, because overcoming the enemy is her main task. When attacking, she focuses on speed of movement, not on accuracy.
During the attack, the snake folds, forming a flat lace. At the same time, her neck is retracted in order to subsequently extend it by more than 20 cm. The retracted neck of the viper is a signal of attack. Wicked, she becomes inflated, although ideally she is rather thin.
Before attacking the victim, the snake produces a piercing hiss. This sound is made with a closed mouth - so it exhales and breathes in air with a stronger sound. During the release, the hiss is strong and low, and when inhaling, it is weaker and higher.
Very often you can hear about the death of a viper . This is not a legend or fiction. Usually a person dies a few hours after the attack (or maybe a week later). Even if the victim is saved from death, then prolonged soreness, even necrosis of the tissues of the affected part, can be traced.
Therefore, after a bite, you should immediately drag a limb over the bitten place with a tourniquet and try to suck or squeeze out some of the blood with poison from the wound. But the most important thing is to transport the victim to the hospital as soon as possible or to call the doctor in place in order to introduce the antidote. It should also be remembered that if you have to face an adder in nature, it is better to leave quickly and quietly, leaving it alone. Surely this will save your life.