Fear, as they say, has big eyes. And most residents of our city often mistake completely harmless reptiles for poisonous snakes. Starting tomorrow, another portion of the long holiday weekend begins; people, according to tradition, will be drawn to nature and to bodies of water, so encounters between people and snakes are almost inevitable. I would like to warn the townspeople both against excessive carelessness and senseless cruelty.

Snakes are an integral part of the nature of our places. In the spring, when it is time for them to mate, they often form real “balls” of dozens of individuals, frightening impressionable citizens.

Employees children's center spiritual development "Rainbow", located right on the shore of the bay, treat encounters with snakes calmly. The director of the Center, Anzhelika Gerasimova, once told with a laugh how she “saved” the water utility workers who were producing at Raduga. renovation work: “Like scattering chickens, snakes - shoo-shoo-shoo!” This calm did not arise out of nowhere: employees of the environmental institution are well aware that poisonous snakes are practically not found in the floodplains of rivers and near reservoirs in the Rostov region. In addition, snakes, occupying their natural “niche,” bring great benefits by destroying rodents that are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases.

The main inhabitants of the Don floodplain arealready ordinary(photos 1 to 3), which is easily distinguished by orange or yellow spots behind its head, andalready aquatic(photo 4-6), which is unfairly called either a water viper or a checkerboard snake - for its pattern of dark spots located in a checkerboard pattern. At the same time, snakes are quite variable in color and are often completely black. Therefore, if someone you know enthusiastically talks to you about “huge black snakes”, rest assured: he has encountered melanistic snakes, that is, black-colored snakes. And what gave them “hugeness” was the vivid human imagination.

Both species of snakes are non-venomous!And they are quite cowardly - when meeting a person they try to “run away” or very convincingly pretend to be dead, even smell accordingly. But an angry one may try to scare you by hissing and puffing up to look like a viper (6th photo). They grow up to one and a half meters, which frightens faint-hearted vacationers even more.

Snakes are also not poisonous- yellow-bellied snake, patterned snake and four-striped snake (photo 7-9). However, this is one of the largest snakes in Europe (up to 2 meters), and is also quite aggressive - in case of real or imaginary danger, it more often rushes to attack rather than “runs away”. The snake is not capable of causing much harm - its bites are painful, but not dangerous (it is still better to go to the doctor to avoid inflammation), however, due to its hot-tempered nature, it suffers in vain. That is why it is listed in the Red Book - there are few of it left...

Another thing is the steppe viper(photo 10-12) . It rarely approaches bodies of water of its own free will - it lives in dry steppes.It feeds on small animals and rodents.However, sometimes she has to change her habitat - due to plowing or development of her native steppes.

The viper is smaller than its non-venomous counterparts: usually the length adult- 30-35 centimeters, less often - 50-60. But at the same time, the viper is a “thicker” snake than a snake or snake: its body and head are wider and more massive. The short, sharply tapering tail is well defined (in snakes and snakes, the tail, on the contrary, gradually tapers towards the tip). On the back there is a dark zigzag pattern, although melanists are also found among vipers.For people with good eyesight and strong nerves, the most reliable sign can be the shape of the pupils: snakes and snakes have round pupils, while vipers have vertical pupils, as befits a nocturnal animal. And the “portrait” of these snakes is completely different (compare the photo).

This snake is not aggressive. It never attacks a person first; it will try to crawl away.It bites only to protect its life.

Viper venom is not fatal for a healthy adult. Of course, with timely medical assistance, so the main rule when bitten by a viper is to go to the hospital immediately! Its bites are truly dangerous only for small children and pets.

The most important rule when meeting a snake is: avoid this very meeting! Whether it’s a snake or a viper, it’s not always possible to figure it out right away. Just give way, you are a rational being (I would like to believe this). After all, the snake is at home, and you are at its home.

Happy weekend!

It's very rare, sometimes it still happens. Much more often, hunters, fishermen and mushroom pickers encounter snakes, which many mistakenly mistake for a viper. The thing is that there are significant similarities between them. In order not to expose yourself to danger when meeting, you need to know how to distinguish a snake from a viper. To do this, let's compare these two reptiles.

Appearance of the snake

An adult individual can reach a length of one and a half or even two meters, although on average the size ranges from 75 cm to 1 m. The color is mostly gray or black, sometimes olive with spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern. A change of colors can be seen on the snake’s body: the further from the head, the darker the color. In order to know how to distinguish a snake from a viper, you need to remember that a special feature of all snakes is the presence of light spots on the head; they can be yellow, orange or white. They are located in the ear area, which is why they are also called “yellow ears.” The head is oval in shape, the pupils of the eyes are round. The snake's tail is elongated and thin. They do not have poisonous teeth.

Distinctive features of the viper

This snake is smaller in size, with an average body length of about 50 cm. The colors can be very varied, including black. When trying to determine how to distinguish a grass snake from a viper, you need to know that you won’t be able to do this by color alone. There is one more feature characteristic of vipers - this is a dark zigzag on the back, running throughout the body. Their tail is shorter and their body is thicker than that of the grass snake. The head has a triangular shape, the pupils are placed vertically.

Habitat

Snakes prefer to settle in damp places. They are good swimmers and can often be found near ponds and swamps. But the most main reason This choice of habitat is due to the presence of frogs, a favorite delicacy of snakes. Rocks, tree roots, and small holes serve as shelter for them. The viper feeds mainly on voles and other rodents. Therefore, its habitat is either tall steppe grass or dense bushes in the forest, where it is possible to hide from uninvited guests. Different environment habitat also allows us to answer the question of how to distinguish a grass snake from a viper. They say that where snakes live, there cannot be vipers. But, apparently, this is not entirely correct opinion, naturalists often saw how both representatives of the snake genus peacefully basked in the sun next to each other.

Different tempers

Another thing that makes it different from a viper is its aggressiveness. Their characters are completely different. He will never be the first to attack a person. In defense, he will imitate an attack and imitate the behavior of a viper. Seeing the futility of his attempts to free himself, he may pretend to be dead. When there is great danger it emits bad smell, which scares away many animals. The viper behaves much more aggressively. Once provoked, she instantly attacks, completely disregarding the size of her enemy.

Summarize and remember

The difference between a viper and a snake is as follows:

• the viper is smaller in size;
• it already has “yellow ears”, the viper has a zigzag stripe along its back;
• the viper has a triangular head, the grass snake has an oval head;
• snakes have round pupils, vipers have vertical pupils;
• snakes prefer to live near water bodies, vipers in forests;
• Vipers are aggressive, they are in a hurry to hide.

Class - Reptiles

Squad - Scaly

Family - Viper snakes

Genus/Species - Vipera berus. Common viper

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: females - up to 80 cm, males - up to 60 cm, newborn cubs - 16 cm.

REPRODUCTION

Puberty: from 3-4 years old.

Mating season: April May.

Number of cubs: 5-20.

LIFE STYLE

Habits: common vipers (see photo) with the exception of winter and mating season stay alone.

What it eats: small rodents, lizards, frogs and chicks.

RELATED SPECIES

The following species of viper snakes live in Europe: steppe viper V. ursini, aspis viper V. aspis, snub-nosed viper V. latasti, Armenian viper V. xanthina, viper V. lebentina and long-nosed viper V. ammodytes.

The common viper belongs to the viper snake family and inhabits most of Europe. She easily adapts to different conditions. The viper lives in sand dunes and mountainous areas, on hills and in forests. It can also survive in humid and cold climates.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

The common viper spends its entire life in a fairly small area. She knows her own area very well and can easily find prey there. Near bodies of water, the viper catches frogs, lizards and water rats. However, its main prey are mice, shrews and other small rodents. Using a sensitive sense of smell and reacting to air vibrations, the snake searches for prey on the ground. She also hunts birds whose nests are located on the ground. When a victim approaches a distance convenient for attack, the viper attacks with lightning speed and injects poison into it. Often the victim manages to escape, but the snake catches up with him, since after a few minutes the poison begins to take effect.

The viper swallows its prey whole, starting from the head. Vipers also prey on lizards, among which most often the viviparous and spindle. Young individuals feed on insects.

LIFESTYLE

The viper's lifestyle depends on the time of year. In spring and autumn, the reptile enjoys basking in the sun, and in summer it remains in the shade from morning to evening. Prefers wooded areas, mainly mixed forests. In the mountains, the viper also inhabits the bushes of coniferous trees.

The viper is a nocturnal animal. During the day, she rests in various shelters. High in the mountains it often hunts during the day. The common viper is not very dangerous; it attacks only if a person steps on it or carelessly grabs it with his hand. At the beginning of winter, snakes hibernate. They spend the winter under stones, rock ledges, or in the burrows of small mammals. When the air temperature drops, the snake burrows even deeper to shelter from the cold. Often several snakes share one shelter together.

REPRODUCTION

During the mating season, males seek the favor of females and start fights for the right to mate. Two males stand opposite each other, raising the front part of their body, then circle around and kick until one of them manages to pin the opponent to the ground. The winner tries to interest the female and attract her attention. Fertilized eggs, surrounded by a leathery membrane, develop in the female’s body for about 3 months. Shortly before birth, the cubs gnaw through the membrane of the egg while still in the mother's body. Newborn vipers, numbering 5-20 individuals, look like miniature copies of their parents, their length is 9-16 cm. The mass birth of vipers occurs in August.

From the first minute of birth they are completely independent, and yet they remain with their mother for several months. The cubs feed on worms and insects. In the northern and central parts females give birth to offspring every other year. By winter, young vipers, together with adult individuals, hide in rotten stumps or under tree roots.

VIPER WATCHING

Vipers are found from March to October. In spring and autumn you can watch them sunbathing. In areas where vipers are found, warning signs were previously posted stating that snakes should never be handled. A viper bite causes death only in exceptional cases, but always causes vomiting and diarrhea. Young children and people whose bodies are weakened are at greatest risk if they are bitten. Particularly dangerous is a bite to the head and blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. The common viper is peaceful and non-aggressive. Seeing that she is being watched, she always rushes to hide or, hiding, lies calmly.

GENERAL PROVISIONS. DESCRIPTION

The viper is a medium-sized snake, length - 60-80 cm. It lives in forests among dense thickets. Hunts at night, sleeps in a hiding place during the day or basks in a quiet place. For the winter it hides in rodent burrows, under stumps and snags. It feeds on small rodents and frogs. Young vipers are born at the end of summer - 5-14 (sometimes 18) and 10-15 cm long. Babies and adult snakes have poisonous teeth, their bite is dangerous (sometimes there are even deaths). But the viper never attacks a person without a reason; on the contrary, it avoids meeting him as best it can. Incidents of bites occur solely due to human negligence. Therefore, you should not walk barefoot in the forest; when looking for mushrooms, you should stir forest floor with a stick - then there will be no trouble from these reptiles. Snakes are useful because they kill many rodents; their venom is used in medicine. Dried viper venom retains its quality for at least 25 years.

• The viper can inflate its chest. So, basking in the sun, it increases the surface of its body.
• Vipers find a place for wintering among the roots of trees. They use the same shelters year after year.
• In the north, the winter shelter of the viper is underground at a depth of up to 2 m.

CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF A VIPER

Cubs: 5-20 cubs are born, covered with thin skin, which they soon lose.

Female: slightly larger than the male, the stripe on its brown body is slightly lighter.

Eyes: the vertical pupil detects any horizontal movement.

Male: a dark zigzag stripe is visible on its gray, brown or red-brown body.

Ears: absent inner ear and eardrum. Snakes are deaf and only detect air vibrations.

- Habitat common viper

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

These snakes are not found in Iceland, Ireland and most of Southern Europe. Distributed throughout the Central and Northern Europe up to the Arctic and the Far East.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Due to the reduction of natural habitats, the common viper is facing extinction. The hedgehog is hers natural enemy, it is insensitive to viper venom.

The snake is poisonous. Common viper, snake's reaction to movement. Full HD 1080p. Video (00:01:16)

When attacked, the snake curls up and pulls its neck into the middle of the resulting flat circle, so that with each bite it quickly extends it by 15, at most 30 cm. Retraction of the neck is always a sign that the viper wants to bite; immediately after the bite, it quickly retracts its neck again , preparing for the next attack. When a viper gets angry, it puffs up so much that even the thinnest one seems fat. When attacking, the viper focuses primarily on lightning speed, rather than accuracy. When attacking, she often misses, but immediately makes the next attempt until she achieves her goal. You have to be careful, as the viper never attacks silently.

Black viper. Viper bite. Video (00:02:42)

Viper, common viper. Video (00:04:06)

The viper snake is poisonous. The viper is distinguished by a zigzag pattern on its back. The viper loves to bask in the sun. Viper dangerous snake. Stay away from vipers.

Common viper. Nikolsky's viper. Poisonous snakes. Video (00:08:00)

I will catch a viper and tell you many interesting facts about it

How not to confuse a snake with a viper? What to do if you are bitten by a viper. Video (00:03:41)

What is the difference between a snake and a viper? What is the difference between a viper and a snake? How to distinguish a snake from a viper, the difference between a viper and a snake. How not to confuse a snake with a viper, a viper bite can help. It's a viper of differences and similarities. Viper and UZH Similarities and differences. WHAT TO DO IF A POISONOUS SNAKE BITE. WHAT HAPPENS IF A SNAKE BITES
The best prevention against a bite is the absence of contact with the viper, so you should not find out whether the snake is poisonous or not, first of all you need to distance yourself.
The viper's eyes see poorly and dimly no further than two meters. Despite the fact that the snake is deaf, it perfectly feels the vibrations of the soil with its whole body, thereby feeling the approach of a person.
Snakes love secluded places like moss, stumps, etc. Even the viper is not aggressive, and attacks only when they sense danger; in most cases, they are ready to escape from the conflict. Snakes are cold-blooded, Sun rays are an important part of their digestion, pay attention to this to avoid an unwanted encounter when they bask in an open area.

Common viper. Video (00:01:09)

The common viper (Vipera berus) is a snake of the viper family (Viperidae). Body length can reach 70 cm. In addition to Russia, it is distributed throughout almost all of Europe and North-Eastern China. It lives in swamps, forest clearings, and along river banks. Overwinters in underground burrows. It feeds mainly on mouse-like rodents and frogs, and young snakes on insects. It is poisonous, but fatalities are extremely rare.

Common viper May 9, 2014 Video (00:01:57)

Vipers. Video (00:21:13)

Children's popular science film about vipers from the series \

It is useful to know what a viper looks like and how it differs from other reptiles, because no one is safe from meeting it. It stands out among other snakes with its short, thick body. Its length can be from 30 cm to 3 m. Weight also varies. There are specimens up to 15 kg. The head is separated from the body by a narrowing in the form of a neck. The front muzzle becomes blunt. There are scaly formations between the nostrils. Some species have such formations above the eyes. The pupils are in the form of vertical slits. In the dark they can expand greatly, so the viper snake can see well even at night.

The common viper belongs to the genus Viperidae and the viper family

Appearance of a snake

The color of snakes can be varied, ranging from almost black to light brown and even red. It is determined by the environment. Thus, in specimens living on trees, a greenish tint predominates. Many individuals have a dark zigzag line running down their back. On the belly side the color is lighter, sometimes there are white spots. The end of the tail may stand out in brightness.

These reptiles overwinter in warm burrows up to 2 m deep. Wintering begins in mid-autumn and ends in spring, after establishment warm weather. The snakes come to the surface and immediately begin to reproduce. They live on average 15 years, sometimes more, up to 30.

The distribution area of ​​vipers in nature is very wide. They can be found in the forest, in the swamp, and in the sands of the desert. They are found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. There are 292 species of vipers.

The common viper belongs to the genus Viperidae and the viper family. It reaches a length of 60-80 cm. It lives mainly in conditions with low temperatures. It is found even at latitudes close to the Arctic Circle. At other latitudes it settles high in the mountains.

The viper is a poisonous snake common in Russia. Many people are afraid of poisonous snakes, as their bite can be not only painful, but even fatal. In order to avoid danger from encountering such reptiles, you need to know where they are found, what they look like, and what to do if they are bitten.

Viper habitats

Vipers are usually called a whole family of snakes- vipers. It is numerous and consists of large quantity species. Snakes of this family live in Eurasia, and. There are now 292 species, included in the family.

On the territory of Russia they live the following types vipers:

• ordinary;
• steppe;
• Caucasian;
• black.

Because the most common of them is ordinary, then the message will be devoted mainly to this poisonous snake. Its habitat is very wide - all forest-steppe zones of Europe and Asia. It can be found in Siberia and on Far East; in the taiga, swamps, banks of lakes and rivers, forests and fields, right up to the Arctic Circle.

The common viper is very unpretentious. The main thing for her is the availability of food, opportunity to hide in tall grass or crevices. Loves to bask in the sun. The period of greatest activity of the snake is May-September. Vipers overwinter in burrows and other depressions, intertwining themselves into a large ball. Snakes hunt in dark time days. The main loot is:

• shrews;
• bird eggs from nests on the ground.

How is a viper different from a snake?

Often poisonous viper confused with . In order not to harm such useful reptiles as the common grass snake, you should determine how they differ and how they are similar.

Similarities between viper and snake:

• Both the viper and the viper do not attack a person first; when they meet a person, they flee. If you step on them, they may bite. But the bite is no longer poisonous.
• They love bodies of water.
• Basking in the sun.

Differences:

• The main difference between snakes and all other snakes is yellow or orange spots on the sides of the head. The viper does not have such spots.
• Vipers have a zigzag pattern on their backs. But on dark-colored snakes, the zigzag may not be noticeable.
• Snakes have long tails and are generally longer than vipers. Snakes can reach sizes of up to 1.5 meters, vipers - 0.75-1 meter.
• Average size – 65 cm.
• Vipers have a more triangular head, covered with small scutes. Snakes have large scutes.
• The eyes are very different: the viper has a vertical pupil, the snake has a round pupil.

If you know and remember these differences, then the fear of all snakes will go away. After all, many of them are safe.

What to do if you are bitten by a viper?

The venom of the common viper is not fatal to humans, and a snake bite most often does not lead to the death of a person. But the consequences of a bite can be very unpleasant, and if there is an allergy and lack of timely assistance, death can even occur.

First of all, all outdoor recreationists, mushroom pickers, fishermen and summer residents need to take care of their protection, and when heading to places where there may be snakes, wear high boots and clothes made of thick fabric. When meeting a viper, you should not wave your arms or make sudden movements, but rather wait until it crawls away.

If, nevertheless, the viper bites, it is necessary, if possible, to limit the movement of the victim so that the poison does not spread throughout the body, apply a pressure bandage to the bitten limb, and take the bitten person to the hospital as soon as possible. It is important to give him plenty of fluids.

It is forbidden:

• cauterize the bitten area;
• cut it and bleed;
• apply tourniquets.

Question - Is it worth sucking the poison out of the wound?- is controversial. Not all doctors consider this procedure harmless and useful.

A viper bite can cause severe swelling, dizziness, headache, nausea, chills.

In the hospital, a special serum is injected into the victim, and the effect of the snake’s venom is neutralized.

If this message was useful to you, I would be glad to see you