Common names: central Turkish mountain viper.

Vipera albizona is a venomous

Venomous snake

"Poisonous snake" redirects here. For true poisonous snakes, see Rhabdophis.Venomous snakes are snakes which have venom glands and specialized teeth for the injection of venom...

 viper

Viperinae

The Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the Crotalinae. Currently, 12 genera and 66 species are recognized...

 species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 endemic to the mountainous regions of central Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Description

The maximum is a little less than 78 cm (for a male), although most specimens are smaller.
The head is relatively large and distinct from the neck. The snout is rounded and covered with small, keeled scales. The nostril is located within a single nasal scale. There are 2-3 apical scales in contact with the rostral. There is normally 1 canthal scale on either side of the head. The large supraoculars are in broad contact with the eye. There are 9-13 circumorbitals. Two scale rows separate the eye from the supralabials, of which there are 7-10. There are usually 10-13 sublabials. The temporal scales

Temporal scales

In reptiles, the temporal scales are those scales on the side of the head between the parietal scales and the supralabial scales, and behind the postocular scales.There are two types of temporal scales:...

 are keeled.

Midbody there are 23 rows of keeled dorsal scales

Dorsal scales

In snakes, the dorsal scales are the longitudinal series of plates that encircle the body, but do not include the ventral scales.When counting dorsal scales, numbers are often given for three points along the body, for example 19:21:17...

. There are 2-3 preventral scales

Preventral scales

Preventral scales are positioned anterior to the ventral scales and are wider than they are long, but do not come into contact with the paraventral row of dorsal scales on either side of the body....

, followed by 149-155 ventrals. The anal scale

Anal scale

In snakes, the anal scale is the scale just in front of and covering the cloacal opening. This scale can be either single or paired . When paired, the division is oblique. It is preceded by the ventral scales and followed by the subcaudal scales....

 is single and followed by 23-30 paired subcaudals.

The color pattern consists of a grayish ground color. Running along the midline from the back of the head to the tail is a series of about 30 transversed and pronounced white- and black-edged narrow bands separated by a brick-red brown zone 3-4 scales long and 9-12 scales wide. Lateral spots may be small and in a double series. There are usually two large black, oblique spots on top of the head, as well as a dark stripe running from the corner of the eye back to the angle of the mouth or beyond. The belly is grayish and finely speckled with darker spots.

Geographic range

Central Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. The type locality given is "from the regions of the Kulmac Daglari mountain range, central Turkey, close to the Anatolia

Anatolia

Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...

n 'Diagonal'".

Conservation status

This species is classified as Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with the following criteria: B1+2e, C2a (v2.3, 1994). This indicates that the extent of its occurrence is estimated to be less than 5,000 km² or the area of its occupancy is estimated to be less than 500 km². Estimates also indicate that the populations are severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than five locations, and that a continuing decline is inferred, observed or projected, in the number of mature individuals. In addition, the total population is estimated to number less than 2,500 mature individuals with no subpopulation containing more than 250 such specimens. Year assessed: 1996.

It is also listed as a strictly protected species (Appendix II) under the Berne Convention

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

The Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979, also known as the Bern Convention , came into force on June 1, 1982....

.

Taxonomy

After Nilson et al. (1990) first described V. albizona as a separate species that is parapatric with V. xanthina

Vipera xanthina

Vipera xanthina is a venomous viper species found in northeastern Greece and Turkey, as well as certain islands in the Aegean Sea. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description:...

, a group of opponents led by Schätti soon argued that V. albizona, V. wagneri

Vipera wagneri

Vipera wagneri is a venomous viper species found in eastern Turkey and northwest Iran. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Description: Grows to a maximum length of 70-95 cm....

 and V. bulgardaghica

Vipera bulgardaghica

Vipera bulgardaghica is a venomous viper species endemic in the mountains of southern Turkey. No subspecies are currently recognized.-Geographic range:The Bulgar Dagh mountains, Nigde Province, south central Anatolia, Turkey...

 were more likely conspecific, belonging to the polymorphic

Polymorphism (biology)

Polymorphism in biology occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes exist in the same population of a species — in other words, the occurrence of more than one form or morph...

species, V. xanthina. According to Bettex (1993), it was also difficult to tell V. albizona from V. wagneri based on color pattern alone. However, a study published by Mulder (1994) came out in support of Nilson et al. (1990) and asserted that the color pattern of V. albizona is actually quite distinct from that of V. wagneri.