Atlas pygmy otter
| Atlas pygmy otter | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Vipera monticola | ||||||||||||
| Saint-Girons , 1977 |
The Atlas dwarf otter ( Vipera monticola ) is a species of the real otters ( Vipera ) within the vipers (Viperidae). Their distribution is limited to the High Atlas in Morocco . It was only recognized as an independent species in 1986 and was previously listed as a subspecies of the inverted- nosed viper ( V. latasti ).
features
The Atlas dwarf otter is a very small species of the genus and reaches a maximum length of about 35 cm. It is the smallest member of the genus Vipera . The basic color is yellow, yellow-gray to brown-gray with a drawing on the back of a zigzag band, which is created by transverse and alternating spots and is sometimes partially dissolved. The sides of the body have dark, partially washed-out spots. The ventral side is speckled lighter gray and dark.
The head is triangular and clearly separated from the rest of the body. The eyes have vertical pupils . The nose is extended upwards with the long, extended snout shield , but less pronounced than in the inverted-nosed viper. On the top of the head, the frontal and parietals are always undivided, the other shields are more or less distinctly broken up into small individual scales. The over-eye shield forms a sharp edge towards the back of the head, while the muzzle region is rounded. Below the eyes are two rows of under-eye shields (subocularia). The body scales are keeled. There are usually 19 rows of scales around the middle of the body. The under- tail shields ( Subcaudalia ) are divided as in all species of the genus.
distribution and habitat
The Atlas dwarf otter can only be found in the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco . As a habitat, the animals colonize stony and bush-free high valleys at altitudes between 2,000 and 4,000 meters.
Way of life
There is only little data available about the way of life of the Atlas dwarf otter, in this it probably resembles the inverted-nosed viper. It is likely to be predominantly crepuscular and nocturnal. It feeds on small mammals such as mice, as well as on lizards and grasshoppers, which it kills with a poison bite.
The snake is likely to be oviviviparous with a small number of offspring.
Snake venom
The poison from the Atlas-clawed otter is like all Vipera TYPES hemotoxic , medical treatment with an appropriate antivenin is necessary.
literature
- David Mallow, David Ludwig, Göran Nilson: True Vipers. Natural History and Toxicology of Old World Vipers , Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar (Florida) 2003. ISBN 0-89464-877-2
- Ulrich Gruber: The snakes of Europe. Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1989; Pages 198-199. ISBN 3-440-05753-4 .
Web links
- Vipera monticola in The Reptile Database
- Vipera monticola inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Miras, JAM, Joger, U., Pleguezuelos, J., Slimani, T. & El Mouden, H., 2006. Retrieved January 6, 2014.