The black viper, or Nikolsky's viper, lives on the territory of Russia, in its European part. For many years there have been disputes over this variety of vipers: some distinguish it as a separate species, others believe that it is one of the subspecies of a simple viper.
Biological features
In structure, Nikolsky's viper is similar to an ordinary viper, but somewhat thinner in volume. In length, her body reaches 76, 5 cm, and the tail itself is approximately 8 cm. This male species has slightly fewer females. The color of the viper is black, but spots of yellow or pink may be noted on the tail pads.
The wide and rather large head of the black viper tapers and contracts laterally in the area of connection with the body, thus visually separating them from each other. Inside the slit-shaped eyes, a black iris is visible, which is another distinguishing feature of this species of vipers. A pair of venomous teeth, about 4 mm in size, are located on the front of the snake's upper jaw.
The habitat of the black viper
The chernozem regions of Russia - Voronezh, Kursk, Tambov regions, the steppe and forest-steppe of Ukraine - Kharkiv, Chernigov regions, as well as the territory along the river basin are considered to be a popular place of accumulation of black vipers. Don - Volgograd, Rostov regions.
The main habitat of Nikolsky's viper is a broad-leaved massif of oak forests and forests. In the fields and forest edges, it can be found in the warm season. The black viper prefers the floodplain landscapes of the Vorona, Samara and Northern Donets rivers. The viper lives in the same place in winter and summer. About 550 representatives of this species coexist per 1 km in a humid climate. Approximately in the middle of spring, this can be judged from observations, the viper begins to develop the greatest activity. Mating season begins in vipers in May. In mid-August, offspring are hatched. From 8 to 24 live vipers are born. The color of young individuals darkens during the first molt.
The diet
The diet of the black viper consists mainly of rodents, birds, frogs, and sometimes lizards. In the absence of small animals, it can be content with medium-sized fish, and sometimes it also eats carrion.
If we compare Nikolsky's black viper with other species, then it moves noticeably slower, but it feels great in the water. When a dangerous situation arises for her, the viper warns the offender with a hiss, stands in an S-shaped stance and lunges. It should be taken into account that it is quite poisonous. Her bite delivers unpleasant pain to the victim, and recovery occurs only after a few days. The bite destroys tissue and paralyzes the victim. Individuals driven into a trap scare off the enemy with an unpleasant smell.
