Of course, one of the main fears of all our tourists and mushroom pickers. And the fears are not unfounded: in Russia, snakes can be found almost everywhere, and meeting them can be very unpleasant. However, there is no need to panic: death from the bite of a common viper is an exceptional phenomenon.

Common viper (Vipera berus)

The common viper is a small snake, 50-75 cm in length. The color is very different, they usually write that from gray and olive to red-brown, meet also black forms. However, from direct communication with citizens who saw the viper, it turns out that, at least in the Tambov region, the black uniform is main.

Common viper

Along the back there is a dark, clearly visible (except for the black uniform, of course) zigzag pattern. For lack of photos common viper, where the pattern would be visible, as an additional illustration I provide a photo in which it is approximately the same:

Steppe viper (Vipera ursinii) - shown to illustrate the pattern along the back

Lifestyle and habitats of the common viper

The common viper is widespread in forest-steppe zones throughout Europe and Asia, reaching the Arctic Circle in the north. It lives in forests, swamps, as well as in forest plantations and garden plots. It gravitates towards damp places, and therefore is often found along the banks of water bodies. As a rule, the lifestyle is sedentary, tied to the wintering place, for which it uses various cracks in the ground and rodent holes.

Coming out of winter shelters different time, depending on latitude. Usually - in the spring, in April-May. During this period, large concentrations of snakes can be observed in wintering areas, which then spread out, becoming more evenly distributed.

The common viper feeds on small animals, birds, frogs and lizards.

Reproduction of the common viper

Puberty in a viper occurs at 4-5 years of life, although, according to some data, it depends more on the size of the individual rather than on its age.

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Mating games of vipers begin 2-4 weeks after leaving the winter quarters. During this period, males organize tournaments, usually without bloodshed. Pregnancy lasts 3 months, after which the female gives birth to 5-12 cubs 15-18 cm long.

An interesting feature of viper reproduction is the combined feeding of embryos. Apart from consuming nutrients from the egg yolk, they also receive nutrition through the mother's circulatory system.

The lifespan of the common viper, according to various sources, is from 10 to 15 years. Some unique individuals lived to be 30, but this is the exception.

How dangerous is the common viper?

I am almost sure that most readers have little interest in such details as the method of nutrition of the viper embryo in the womb and the number of cubs in the litter. I believe that all the most pressing issues are in one way or another related to the poisonous properties of the snake, the consequences of the bite and the actions of the victim and his comrades if the bite occurs.

So, the degree of danger of the common viper is medium. Fatalities are extremely rare. However, the consequences of a bite can knock a person out of normal life for a long time, not to mention completely destroy all short-term plans.

The snake itself is non-aggressive and timid; when a person appears (if he is noticed in a timely manner, of course), he immediately disappears. The problem is that the viper is short-sighted and deaf, and at the same time blends well with the substrate, so there is always a chance of suddenly running into it nose to nose.

Steps to prevent a viper bite

If the viper noticed you in a timely manner and began to take threatening poses with a hiss, this is good. In such a situation, you need to very carefully, without sudden movements, without panic, move away from her to a safe distance.

The throw of the common viper is low and rarely reaches the knee, so boots and loose-fitting trousers are highly likely to protect against a bite when stepped on.

When walking through viper-dangerous places, you should not be secretive; when moving and searching for mushrooms, you should actively help yourself with a stick.

Vipers in the camp pose a particular danger. At night they can easily come to warm themselves by the fire, or, even worse, while we are warming ourselves by the fire, they can crawl into a tent and settle comfortably in an unfolded sleeping bag. And in this case, there is a high probability of getting bitten not in the leg, but in some much more dangerous place, so be vigilant! Do not leave the tent open; before climbing into it, check for uninvited guests.

I also can’t help but mention the Hungarian folk “drunken hedgehog method,” which I came across during my search. I quote:

To get rid of snakes, moles, mice, rats, toads and other creatures, Hungarian peasants did not know for many centuries the best remedy than a drunk hedgehog. It was believed that in a state of hangover, a hedgehog becomes even angrier and more merciless towards garden pests and more vigilant
protects the area where it lives from them. Therefore, the peasants placed troughs of beer under almost every bush. Hedgehogs - great lovers of alcohol - did not keep themselves waiting long and gathered in large numbers at the sites.
The peasants locked their dogs in barns and sheepfolds at night so that they would not interfere with the hedgehogs’ work. In the fall, when the harvest was over, Hungary celebrated DAY OF THE DRUNKEN HEDGEHOG, similar to harvest days in other European countries.

What to do if you are bitten by a viper?

The set of actions proposed to us in various sources in this situation is more or less standard, although not without controversial issues.

1. In the first few minutes, try to suck out the poison, squeezing the tissue around the wound and constantly spitting. It is not recommended if you have wounds in the mouth, although in some places it is directly stated that wounds in the mouth are nonsense. You can try to suck out the poison using a jar, however, given its very rapid absorption, by the time the jar/glass/mug/matches/lighter is found, there will be no point in suctioning.
2. Keep the victim immobile.
3. Take something antihistamine.
4. Give plenty of fluids.
5. Take him to a medical facility to administer Anti-Viper serum.

• cauterize
• cut
• apply tourniquets
• Drink alcohol, except for disinfection of the bite site

In fact, the victim will most likely be alone, cellular and radio communications will not work, and the propeller from the only rescue helicopter was cut through by mechanic Sidorov. In addition, the trouble happened just after the route plan was changed, which no one except the victim knows about, so no one knows where to look for him.

On this page, a friend offers an algorithm of actions just in case of such a situation.

So, the bite occurred. Let's start immediately suction of poison, remembering that this measure is effective only in the first minutes after the bite. After 5-10 minutes, we give up trying, take medications (see below) and proceed to rookery equipment, make a fire, put water to boil. All this must be done quickly, because... after an hour and a half, temporary loss of vision and/or consciousness may occur. The author also recommends “taking care of the sewer system” for the period of possible incapacity.

It is assumed that we have in the first aid kit

• syringes,
• novocaine 2%,
• diphenhydramine,
• cordiamin,
• a broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as doxycycline,
• rehydron.

So, we’ve finished the suction, now we take the following measures:

1. We disinfect the bite site.
2. We inject the bite site with novocaine (3-4 injections). If the tumor has already begun to form, prick along the edge.
3. We administer diphenhydramine and cordiamine intramuscularly.
4. We take an antibiotic to prevent possible inflammation and sepsis at the bite site.
5. We bring water with rehydron and drink.
6. We think about good things and wait for the body to cope with the poison. This place is now our home for a few days.

Concerning Anti-viper serum. There is no point in keeping it in the first aid kit, because Firstly, being a protein preparation, it is very sensitive to temperature conditions, which is impossible to observe on a hike, and, Secondly, the body may react to the administration of serum with anaphylactic shock, which under the described conditions is highly likely to lead to death.

In August 2014, I visited the Nurgush nature reserve, but I never got around to making out the photographs taken there. Recently, while selecting shots for the photo competition “Reserves and National Parks of Russia are 100 Years Old,” I remembered several portraits of snakes from the reserve. In the security zone of the Nurgush nature reserve (the one where access to outsiders is allowed) there is a clearing in which many years ago, even before the formation of the reserve, there was a summer camp for livestock. The remains of which, in the form of a heap of rotten pieces of wood covered with lichen, can still be seen at the edge of the clearing. Snakes loved this place very much. Vipers bask in the sun on wooden debris, among which they can hide in case of danger. No wonder this clearing was nicknamed Zmeina. Even though they look different, they are all the same species - Common viper (lat. Vipera berus). Some of them are light gray in color, with a dark pattern on the back, some are completely black. This is a manifestation of melanism, excessive dark pigmentation. It is easy to distinguish from harmless vipers by the absence of yellow spots in the back of the head, and if you get to know them very closely, the snake has a round pupil, while the viper has a vertical pupil, like a cat’s. But you shouldn’t be afraid of the viper either. For all its poisonousness, it prefers not to be seen by humans and hides at the first danger. Only when driven into a corner or taken by surprise does it hiss and rush threateningly. You should not consider your life over if the worst thing happens - you are bitten by a viper. Behind last half century there were almost no deaths from a viper bite directly (unless Small child was stung in the face), more from the consequences of improper treatment (cut the wound, tie it with a tourniquet, cauterize it and other nonsense). But more on this below.

What does a common viper look like?

This snake is 35-50 cm long. The common viper can be different color, but there is one hallmark for all vipers: it is a dark zigzag on the back, from the back of the head to the end of the tail, which is accompanied on each side by a longitudinal row of dark spots. It can be assumed that the main color of vipers is silver, but this is conditional, since there are light gray, yellow, green and brown individuals. In some areas, up to 50% of the population consists of melanistic black vipers. The viper's abdomen is dark gray or even black. The end of the tail is always lighter in color, usually lemon.

The head at the back is noticeably wider than the neck, rather flat, the neck is clearly separated and slightly compressed laterally, the tail is relatively short, noticeably thinner in the last third of its length and ends with a short, hard tip. The male's body is shorter and thinner, and the tail is relatively thicker and longer than that of the female.

Vipers have large, round eyes. Some say that they reflect some kind of deceit and aggression. The color of the iris is usually bright fiery red; in dark females it is light reddish-brown.

Where do vipers live?

The common viper has a mosaic distribution in the forest belt of Eurasia from Great Britain, France and northern Italy in the west, to Sakhalin and the Korean Peninsula in the east. IN Eastern Europe The viper sometimes penetrates the Arctic Circle - for example, it lives in the Lapland Nature Reserve and on the shores of the Barents Sea. To the east - in Siberia and Far East- distribution in many places is limited by the lack of suitable wintering burrows. From the south, the range is limited to steppe regions.

The viper does not have any special preferences in its habitat; it can be found here and there: in forests and deserts, in mountains, meadows, fields, swamps and even in the steppes. The main thing is that there is enough food and light, and for the rest it does not make any special demands. There are especially many vipers in swampy areas. Here they sometimes live in terrifying numbers.

The viper lives in some hole in the soil, under the roots of a tree or between stones, in a hole (from which it first expels the owners), in a crevice in the soil - in general, in some similar shelter, near which there should be a small open place where it I could bask in the sun.

Lifestyle of the common viper

Vipers spend their entire lives (and they live twelve to fifteen years) in the same territory. Distribution is uneven depending on the availability of places suitable for wintering. The saddle, as a rule, does not move further than 60-100 meters. The exception is forced migration to a wintering place; in this case, snakes can move away to a distance of up to 2-5 km. IN summer time sometimes basks in the sun, but mostly hides under old stumps, in crevices, etc. Despite the fact that vipers love light and warmth, it cannot be said that this snake leads a diurnal lifestyle; on the contrary, during the day they are slow, love to bask in the sun’s rays, and with the onset of dusk, vipers become active and crawl out to hunt. Even her eyes are adapted to seeing in the dark: the pupil can expand and contract, which is rare in reptiles.

Vipers feel great at a body temperature of nine to thirty degrees. If the temperature drops below nine or rises above thirty-five degrees, the animal dies. Therefore, the snake is forced to spend the whole day in the shelter, crawling out into the sun several times to bask.

Vipers overwinter in the soil at a depth below the freezing layer, climbing into burrows of moles and rodents, passages of rotten roots of trees and shrubs, deep cracks in rocks and other shelters. Sometimes they accumulate in one place in small groups. Torpor in vipers during the period hibernation lasts for middle lane Russia is about six months old.

The viper has many enemies in nature, for example, owls, foxes, hedgehogs, ferrets, minks and eagles. The greatest danger to the common viper comes from humans, primarily economic activity, aimed at deforestation and other changes in natural landscapes. Among forest inhabitants, the main enemies of vipers are hedgehogs, which are immune to snake venom. The hedgehog uses the following tactics when attacking: it bites the snake on the body and immediately curls up into a ball, exposing its needles for a retaliatory strike. The procedure is repeated several times until the viper weakens and dies.

What does a viper eat?

The food for vipers consists mainly of warm-blooded animals, especially mice, which the snake prefers to any other food. From the observations of scientists it follows that it catches mice not only on the ground, but also underground. Chicks, especially those birds that nest on the ground, often become victims of the viper. It can also hunt adult birds. She eats frogs and lizards only as a last resort.

The viper lies in wait for its prey and bites it (for example, a forest mouse), and then releases it in order to later find the corpse along the trail, since under the influence of the poison that penetrates the wound, the bitten animal quickly dies.

Vipers are predators from birth. Young snakes catch insects - locusts, beetles, and, less commonly, butterfly caterpillars, ants, slugs and earthworms. In turn, vipers become prey birds of prey and animals.

Viper breeding

The mating season is in May, and the offspring appear in August or September, depending on the climate. Mating begins only when spring weather has settled. The number of cubs produced by a female depends on the age of the mother: younger ones have five to six cubs, older ones - 12-14, even 16 cubs.

The viper is viviparous - the development of eggs and the hatching of cubs occurs in the womb. The intrauterine development of viper embryos is very interesting. The walls of the upper shell of the eggs are penetrated by blood vessels, so the embryo feeds on both the yolk of the egg and dissolved in the mother’s blood nutrients. It happens that during childbirth, the female wraps herself around a tree or stump, leaving her tail hanging, “scattering” baby snakes onto the ground, which from the first moment begin independent life. Juveniles are usually 15-20 cm long and are already poisonous. As they grow, they molt, leaving behind crawling out like snakes.

The Viper is born evil and remains evil for the rest of its life. The little vipers, just hatched from the eggs, hissed and bit angrily when touched. Immediately after birth, each little viper crawls away, and the mother does not pay any attention to the cubs.

Why is a viper dangerous?

Vipers are the most common venomous snakes in central Eurasia. Their bite is dangerous to humans, but not fatal. If a person is not allergic to snake venom, then the bite does not pose a threat to life.

This snake is not aggressive and when a person approaches, it tries to use its camouflage coloring as much as possible, or to crawl away. Only in the event of a person's unexpected appearance or provocation on his part can she try to bite him. This cautious behavior is explained by the fact that it requires a lot of energy to reproduce venom in conditions of changing temperatures.

The viper never attacks a person first; it bites only if it is pursued, grabbed with hands, or stepped on. At the sight of a person, the viper always hurries to crawl away, hide, or lies quietly.

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 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. Even if it is hunting, the snake makes a loud hiss before attacking its prey. This hissing or snorting is made with her mouth closed and is caused by her inhaling and exhaling air more forcefully than usual. When air is exhaled, the sound is strong and low; when air is inhaled, it is weaker and higher.

The viper injects into the victim not a large number of poison. She saves it, since the production of poison is a very energy-intensive process and takes a lot of strength from the snake. The viper has hollow large fangs with a deep groove. The snake injects venom into the victim thanks to a reflex contraction of the temporal muscles that surround the venom-carrying glands.

What to do if you are bitten by a viper

Most often, bites from non-venomous snakes leave only small scratches on the body. The bite of a poisonous snake leaves deep punctures from the teeth, through which the poison is injected. When bitten, the poison can get under the skin, into muscle tissue or into the lumen of a victim’s vessel. A bite into the lumen of a vessel is more severe due to the fact that the poison spreads faster throughout the body causing various disorders. There may be cases when the bite occurs with one fang, as a result of which a smaller dose of poison is injected and the poisoning proceeds more easily.

The viper's venom is hemo- and cytotoxic, that is, it destroys blood and tissue. It contains hyaluronidase and phospholipase and destroys the walls of blood vessels, red blood cells, proteins, and forms blood clots inside the vessels, leading to poor circulation. In addition, the poison disrupts cardiac and liver function, and also disrupts water-mineral balance.

• Hyaluronidase– breaks down connective tissue, destroys the walls of small capillaries, increases the permeability of tissues to water and ions.
• Phospholipase– splitting the lipid layer of red blood cells leads to their destruction (red blood cell hemolysis).

The above enzymes increase the permeability of cell membranes (mast cells) containing biological active substances (histamine, heparin, etc.), which leads to their release and the manifestation of inflammatory and allergic reactions (swelling, redness, pain, itching).

For humans, the bite of a common viper is considered potentially dangerous, but it is extremely rarely fatal. For example, in the UK, only 14 deaths were recorded between 1876 and 2005, the last of which occurred in 1975 (a five-year-old child died from a bite). About 70% of those bitten either experience no symptoms at all or feel a burning pain directly in the area of ​​the bite. Often, redness and swelling develop around the wound - hemorrhagic edema. With a more severe degree of intoxication, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, pale skin, increased sweating, chills, and tachycardia are possible within 15-30 minutes. Finally, with particularly increased sensitivity, loss of consciousness, swelling of the face, a significant drop in blood pressure, heavy bleeding (DIC syndrome), renal failure, convulsions or coma may occur. In the vast majority of cases, the consequences of the bite disappear after 2-4 days, but can last for a longer period, up to a year. In particular, improper self-treatment can lead to complications.

As first aid for a bite, doctors recommend calming down, applying a pressure bandage (but not a tourniquet), reducing the load on the limb to the point of immobilization, and ensuring plenty of fluids. Opinions about the benefits of sucking poison from a wound are divided: some experts believe that with this procedure, up to 30-50% of all poison can be removed within 10-15 minutes, others consider it harmful, since bacterial flora can enter the blood along with saliva, causing purulent inflammation. Incorrect and erroneous, but still common methods of treatment include making transverse incisions at the site of the bite, cauterization, applying a tourniquet, and covering with snow.

What to do it is forbidden when bitten by a snake?

You cannot apply a tourniquet. The tourniquet sharply disrupts blood circulation in the bite area and significantly increases the degree of tissue damage. Applying a tourniquet for 20-30 minutes sharply worsens the general condition of the patient. The poison is already necrotizing, and you are also cutting off the blood flow. The end result will be that the arm or leg will have to be amputated.

No cuts allowed, in order for “poisoned blood” to flow out, there is a high probability of damaging a nerve, vessel or tendon, as well as causing an infection. Let me remind you once again - the poison is necrotizing, and so the damage is large-scale. There is no need to worsen the picture. There is no need to do bloodletting either. There is negligible amount of poison in the systemic circulation. And the one that exists is already causing damage. circulatory system, and even more bleeding will not lead to anything good.

Can't cauterize bite site.

You can't drink alcohol, this only accelerates the spread of the poison.

You can't chip away bite site novocaine or adrenaline, impairs local blood supply, aggravates tissue damage.

What can be done is to lay the victim down so that the head is lower than the level of the legs. By doing this we will maintain cerebral circulation at a more or less acceptable level. The spread of the poison occurs mainly through the lymphatic vessels and is enhanced by muscle contractions. This means that you need to immobilize the bitten limb, as with fractures. Ideally, you need to immobilize the victim himself and give him plenty of warm and sweet drinks (hot tea is fine). The sooner the bitten person gets to the hospital, the better.

If possible, most effective way- is to introduce an antidote. If the victim in the most short time introduce a specific serum, the action of which is aimed at the venom of a specific viper, he will get off with only a slight fright. In the case of vipers, the serum must be administered within the first 30 minutes. Well, an hour is the maximum. When administered after a few hours, its effectiveness will drop significantly, and later there is no point in injecting at all.

The hot season is always marked by trips to nature. People are in a hurry to escape away from the stuffy metropolis, closer to nature, so that they can take a break from the hustle and bustle of work for at least a couple of sunny days. But in the forest, near a river, and even in the country, danger may await you in the form of a poisonous viper. There are quite an impressive number of snakes on the territory of Russia, and not all people can distinguish a dangerous viper from a completely harmless snake. These two snakes are the most common and can wait for an unsuspecting person relaxing in nature under stones, in bushes and even in water.

It is very important to be able to distinguish a poisonous viper from a snake, so as not to accidentally encounter a dangerous creeping creature.

How to distinguish a snake from a viper: main differences

Surely most people know that snakes can be identified by their characteristic orange stripe, but not all reptiles have this distinguishing feature, some species of snakes are incredibly difficult to distinguish from vipers, since they not only lack distinctive feature, but also the color is almost the same.

In fact, these two species of reptiles have much fewer similarities than differences, and therefore, knowing the most significant of them, you can recognize a poisonous creeping creature. So, you can learn about the main differences between the viper and the grass snake below.

Head shape

Perhaps, specifically for the shape of the head you should immediately pay attention when looking at a snake. The snake has an oval or egg-shaped head, but vipers have a spear-shaped or triangular head. Poisonous reptiles also have so-called brow ridges, which are quite pronounced and easy to notice. But if he’s really angry, you can also see these arcs on him and it’s almost impossible to distinguish him from a viper.

It is not always possible for a person to carefully examine the shape of the head of a snake that suddenly appears near him, but, as a rule, it is the head that a person pays attention to first.

Pupil of the eye

Despite the large number of differences between these two reptiles, it can be quite difficult to distinguish a snake in a fighting state from a viper, and sometimes a person simply does not have the opportunity to look at a potential enemy. But if a person still has good eyesight and has the opportunity to take a closer look at the snake, then it is worth paying attention to the pupil of her eye.

The pupil of vipers is visually similar to a thin stick located across the body, and the snake's eyes are similar to those of a cat, or they round shape. In addition, the snake has an iris that matches the color of its body. The vision of these non-poisonous reptiles is excellent and thanks to it they look for food, and the visual organs themselves are enlarged and instantly react to moving objects.

Shape of the head shields

Another difference between snakes that are harmless to humans and dangerous vipers is this is the shape of the shields. In non-venomous snakes they big size and regular shape, symmetrically located and covering the main part of the head. Poisonous vipers have 3 scutes of irregular shape and small size. They are located on the crown of the head in front, and then follow the scales of the body.

From a distance it is quite difficult to see these shields, but at close range they will immediately catch your eye.

Drawing on the back and head

Most people try to distinguish a non-venomous snake from a poisonous one. using its color. But this method is the most unreliable, since there is significant amount reptiles with a dark color and characteristic spots or zigzags on the body.

To carefully examine the pattern on the snake’s body, you need to get close enough to it, which is very unsafe. Snakes do not have a zigzag pattern on their body, but the viper has characteristic triangles on its back that fold into stripes. In non-poisonous reptiles, the pattern on the body consists of spots or specks and is always striking.

Nevertheless, there are several varieties of snakes, the pattern on the body of which is very easy to confuse with the color of a viper. So, for example, viper snake has a zigzag pattern, like that of vipers, and the back and head of the water snake are decorated with spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern, which at a distance are very similar to zigzags. Therefore, you should not rely only on the color of the reptile, otherwise you can easily confuse the viper snake with a poisonous creeping creature.

The color of snakes is quite varied. Among them there are reptiles with brown, brownish, olive and even black colors. Many non-venomous snakes can also imitate venomous ones in order to scare the intended enemy, and therefore you need to know all the main differences in order to distinguish a snake from a viper.

Shape of body, tail and scales

Body of a poisonous snake significantly shorter than that of the non-poisonous one. In addition, it is thicker and denser. Vipers also have a sharp transition from the body to the tail, and the tail itself is short. Snakes are much longer and thinner, and their transition is smoother. The tail of non-poisonous reptiles is also thinner and longer. On the inside of the tail, the color of poisonous snakes is much lighter. Most often the color is yellowish.

On each scale, all reptiles have a non-standard narrow elevation - a keel. In vipers it does not divide the scales in half and leaves them whole, but in snakes it consists of 2 scales. But such a characteristic difference is unlikely to help distinguish a snake from a viper, since it is impossible to see the scales at a distance. They can be seen if you only pick up the snake or kill it and look at the corpse closer.

Color of ventral scutes

In combat conditions, it is quite difficult to distinguish a grass snake from a viper. To begin with, it is worth focusing on color of ventral scutes, which is black or dark gray in venomous snakes. The scutes also have characteristic yellowish spots, which can be separate or merging. Their shape can also be different.

The snake's abdomen can be roughly divided into 3 parts. Top part in this case there will be a light shade, the middle one will have a colored color, and the bottom one will be dark, smoothly turning into black. But it is unlikely that a water snake can be distinguished from a viper by the color of its scutes, since they have white spots on them.

The main distinguishing feature of the viper is its poisonous teeth.

If you have the opportunity to hold a snake in your hands and examine it closely, you can accurately determine whether it is poisonous. To detect in a snake poisonous teeth , you must perform the following sequential actions:

1. Press on the sides of the jaw and slightly pull the skin from the head onto the neck to open the snake’s mouth.
2. Carefully examine the open mouth for teeth.

If fangs are found, then under no circumstances should you touch them, since even a dead viper for a long time the poison persists. A person can become poisoned if they are pricked by a viper's poisonous tooth. Snakes do not have poisonous fangs.

How to distinguish a viper from a water snake?

The heat-loving merman is quite common in the south of Russia and loves to dive and swim in both salt and fresh water. It hides under water from the scorching sun and therefore can be found on the river. It is very difficult to distinguish a water snake from a viper, but there are still differences. So, A non-venomous snake can be distinguished from a poisonous one by the following characteristics:

• olive, brown and greenish color, unique only to water snakes;
• spots of dark color on the back, arranged in a checkerboard pattern;
• reddish or yellow belly with black spots.

With the onset of warm spring and summer days, everything more people goes out into nature. When the bright sun is shining outside and a gentle breeze is blowing, it is difficult to sit within four walls. Unfortunately, on a summer cottage, near a river, a hidden danger awaits in the forest - a poisonous viper. Many people are afraid of being bitten, but you also need to relax in nature. There are many snakes in Russia, but not all of them are poisonous. The most common crawling creatures are divided into two categories: snakes and vipers. The first ones are not dangerous at all, but you need to stay away from the second ones. How can you determine who is in front of you - an insidious creature or a harmless little animal? Our article is dedicated to this issue.

Differences between snake and viper in head shape

When meeting a snake, you should immediately pay attention to the shape of its head. The difference between a snake and a viper is that the first has an oval, slightly ovoid head, while the second has a triangular, spear-like head. A poisonous snake has “superciliary ridges” extending from its neck; they are pronounced, so they are clearly visible. True, a snake can easily be confused with a viper if it is very angry. In this state, he flattens his head, trying to intimidate the enemy. Of course, you don’t always have the time and opportunity to take a good look at a creature that suddenly appears under your feet. But still, the shape of the head catches the eye almost immediately.

Differences in the pupil of the eye

The difference between a viper and a snake is huge, although these creepy crawlies look similar to each other. Of course, in combat conditions it is not very convenient to examine the body shape or coloring, but still, if you manage to thoroughly study the creeping reptile or observe it from the side, then determining whether it is poisonous or not will not be difficult. The eyes tell a lot; in vipers the pupils look like thin sticks located across the body; in snakes they are round or vertical (similar to a cat’s). In addition, the latter have an iris that perfectly matches the color of the overall body color. Snakes have very good eyesight, because thanks to it they look for their food. Their eyes are enlarged and react quickly to moving objects.

What does the shape of the shields on the head indicate?

The shape of the scutes is another criterion that distinguishes it from a viper. In the former, they are of regular shape, large in size, and located symmetrically. In snakes, the scutes cover most of the head. The same cannot be said about vipers. They have three small shields irregular shape, which are located on the front of the crown. Next, the vipers begin to have body scales. When viewed from afar, these differences are hardly noticeable, but if you manage to see the snake up close, the shape and number of scutes immediately catch your eye.

What can the drawing of the head and back tell about?

How to distinguish a grass snake from a viper by color? This is a very unreliable method of recognizing a venomous snake, because there are a huge number of dark specimens on whose body it is almost impossible to determine the presence of spots or zigzags with the naked eye. Vipers have triangles along their backs that fold into stripes. Snakes do not have zigzags, they may have longitudinal rows, but they consist of spots, specks, and the pattern is always noticeable, it stands out on the body. Some problems occur with the water snake because it is dark and has staggered spots. From a greater distance, this pattern looks like a zigzag, so this snake is often confused with a poisonous viper. Only up close you can see that these are not triangles at all, but spots.

Snakes have a variety of colors, among them there are individuals of brown, brown, dark olive and even black. There are also prominent representatives a large family, full of magnificent patterns. Many snakes imitate vipers for protection, so you need to know many characteristics so as not to confuse them with venomous snakes.

Viper, grass snake: similarities and differences in the shape of the body and tail

Venomous snakes have a much shorter body compared to non-venomous snakes. It is thicker than that of a grass snake and denser. The transition from the body to the tail in vipers is very sharp; it is blunt and short. Non-venomous snakes are long and thin. In snakes, the transition to the tail is smooth; it is long and thin. In vipers, the color on the inside of the tail is almost always a little lighter and has a yellowish tint. Having assessed the appearance of a snake, even an inexperienced person will be able to determine who is in front of him - an enemy or a harmless creature.

Differences in the shape of scales

The difference between a snake and a viper is also in the shape of its scales. They always have a keel - a kind of narrow elevation found on each scale and dividing it in half. It is found in both vipers and snakes. The difference is that in poisonous snakes the keel does not divide the scales in half, leaving it whole, while in non-venomous snakes it is double, so it consists of two scales. Of course, it’s impossible to see all this from a great distance. The shape of the scales can only be determined by picking up the snake or killing it.

Coloration of ventral scutes

How to distinguish a snake from a viper in combat conditions? First of all, you should pay attention to the coloring of the abdominal scutes. In almost all vipers they are dark gray or black. In this case, the scutes have yellowish spots, they can be separate or merging, their shape also varies. In snakes, the belly can be divided into three parts. Their top is light, the middle is colored, but the lower part gradually darkens and turns black. The exception is the water snake, which has whitish spots on its scutes. Melanists have a normal color.

Presence of poisonous teeth

If you have the opportunity to examine a snake up close and pick it up, you can determine for sure whether it is poisonous or not. To do this, you need to press on the sides of the jaw and slightly pull the skin onto the neck from the head. This will open the mouth. The grass snake and the viper have a completely different arrangement of teeth. Comparison can only be made close up and this must be done extremely carefully, because even dead snake The poison persists for a long time. If you accidentally prick your tooth, you can get poisoned. The poisonous fangs are located in front; when the viper opens its mouth, they immediately turn, as if on hinges. Snakes do not have poisonous teeth at all.

The common snake is the most common snake in Europe

This is the most common of the creeping creatures in the Central and Southern Europe. The common snake and the common viper are very similar, which is why people often confuse them. They can be distinguished by the size of the body, as well as bright spots on the sides of the body. The length of the viper is about 80 cm, in rare cases 1 m. Females weigh about 0.5 kg, and males weigh up to 0.2 kg. Common vipers are black in color and have white or pink spots on their upper lip. There may or may not be an orange zigzag on the back.

The common grass snake has crescent-shaped orange, white or yellow spots on the sides of its head, bordered by dark stripes. In some individuals they may be absent or mildly expressed. The belly of the snake is light with black spots, the color of the body is dark. The spots on the head resemble ears, but they are not poisonous snake and differs from poisonous. The common snake grows up to 1.5 m. It is found mainly near swamps and in thickets of forests. Sometimes a snake settles not far from people; it can be found in garbage, in sheds, in a pile of leaves.

How not to confuse a water snake with a viper?

This snake lives in southern regions, because it is very thermophilic. She loves to swim and dive, and both fresh and salt water suits her. The water snake feeds on fish, frogs, small birds, and shrimp. From the heat, he hides under water, spends the night on the ground in dry grass, under stones or in the burrows of small rodents. Overwinters in dense bushes or crevices. There is practically no difference in color between the viper and the viper, because the color of both representatives of the family is very different. They can only be distinguished by their drawing.

The water snake can have an olive-grayish, olive, brown, or greenish color. Its main difference is the dark spots on its back, located in a checkerboard pattern. People often confuse this pattern with the zigzags of a viper, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that these are spots, not triangles. The belly of the water snake is reddish or yellowish with black spots. Sometimes completely black specimens are found; it is incredibly difficult to distinguish them from the viper.

Is the tiger poisonous?

This snake prefers to settle in damp areas, near water bodies, in meadows, in forest thickets, but is sometimes found even in cities. How to distinguish a grass snake from a viper? Of course, by the color and shape of the body. The tiger snake has a dark olive or dark green back with black spots or transverse stripes that taper towards the tail. There may be dark triangular spots or a black collar on the neck. His eyes are large and his upper lip is yellow.

What makes it different from a viper is that the former is safe for humans, although this statement is controversial. Tiger snake It is considered conditionally poisonous, it is all due to the posterior jaw teeth located in the depths of the mouth. If you have bitten a person with your short front teeth, then there is no need to worry, the wound will heal without a trace. And if the snake opened its mouth wide and grabbed the body with its posterior teeth, releasing a lot of secretion from the upper labial glands and saliva into the wound, then you should worry about your health. The fact is that a tiger snake bite can cause severe poisoning.

What do snakes and vipers eat?

Snakes are excellent swimmers, so they can find food not only on land, but also in water. The differences between snakes and vipers in diet are almost invisible. They can feast on small birds, frogs, rodents, and lizards. But only snakes can eat fish, because vipers are not ichthyophages.

What to do if bitten by a viper?

Not everyone is able to quickly determine whether a snake they meet along the way is poisonous or non-poisonous, and in some cases the creeping creature already bites, and then you only notice it. If you have even the slightest idea of ​​how to distinguish a grass snake from a viper, then you need to carefully examine the attacker and decide whether the bite threatens your health and life or not. The snake usually does not intend to bite a person; accidents occur when people accidentally enter its nesting area or step on it. The hiss of a viper should not be regarded as an attempt to attack. Thus, she warns of her presence and offers to leave healthy and unharmed.

If you still cannot avoid the bite, then you should try in any way to reduce the amount of poison that gets into the wound. If possible, you can suck it out, but if you can’t cope on your own and there is no one nearby, then you need to take a glass or other container and try to push out the toxic substance. It is imperative to get to the first aid station within an hour to administer the antidote. If you can’t come to the hospital, then you need to prepare for swelling of the limb, and then of the whole body, severe pain. To avoid allergic reaction, you should take the Suprastin tablet.

It is very important not to move. It is recommended to lie horizontally and raise your legs slightly. This will make it easier for the body to fight the poison. Alcohol is contraindicated; in this case, you only need to drink plenty of sweet drinks. At home, a person needs to lie down for several days until the swelling subsides. At the hospital, the patient is placed in an inpatient unit for a week and given IV drips.

Only 1% of those bitten die from the bite of a common viper. But it should be remembered that poison is most difficult for people with weakened immune systems, as well as small children. It will also be bad for those who have been bitten on the neck by a viper. In these cases, you cannot sit at home idly, you must immediately visit a medical facility. The introduction of an antidote, adherence to bed rest, drinking plenty of fluids - all this will quickly put the patient on his feet. It is important to know how to distinguish between a grass snake and a viper in order to take timely action.

A snake bite gives the body a big shake-up, oddly enough, but in the future it has a beneficial effect on human health. If the viper attacks again, then its poison will no longer have such an effect on the body. Professional snake catchers receive more than a hundred bites in their lives, and are still alive and feeling well. Therefore, you should not be afraid of vipers, but it is still necessary to take precautions. If a snake is spotted from afar, then you should not be overly curious and approach it. Sometimes it happens that a viper lies on the path, blocking the passage. In this case, you need to take a long stick, move it in front of the snake and it will crawl away.

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) each, 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 of the 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.

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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.

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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.
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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.

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