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Coronelle lisse-Coronella austriaca-Smooth snake Couleuvre de Montpellier-Malpolon monspessulanus-Montpellier snake Vipère péliade-Vipera berus-Comon adder Coronelle de Bordeaux-Coronella girondica-Southern smooth snake Couleuvre à échalons-Elaphe scalaris-Ladder snake Couleuvre d'Esculape-Elaphe longissima-Aesculapian snake Couleuvre verte et jaune-Coluber viridiflavus-Western whip snake Couleuvre à collier-Natrix natrix-Grass snake |
Wildlife Conservation in France Vipére d’Orsini ~~ Vipera ursinii Orsini’s Viper
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The Orsini’s viper has a maximum length of 50cm, colouration is grey, brown or olive green with a very boldly marked black zig zag pattern on the back which is completely joined up and solid. It has a rounded nose and eyes with vertically slit pupils. It is found at altitudes of 900 to 2200 metres. In France it is only in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and extremely rare, in danger of extinction in the only three EU countries where it is present, France, Italy and Greece with IUCN red listing. It prefers open rocky habitats with some shrubby growth and sparse grasslands/pasture, very sensitive to disturbance and human activity. Most studies conclude that it is not aggressive and rarely bites humans, 9 times out of 10 if it does “strike” it keeps its mouth closed. When approached by humans it chooses either to remain completely still or flee slowly and silently. Its prey is almost entirely grasshoppers, crickets and other insects, occasionally small mammals which it hunts primarily during the morning and early afternoon. Hibernation is from October until April/May.
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