The Asp Viper
The Asp viper is a venomous snake that occurs in southwestern Europe. The head of this snake is broad, triangular and quite distinct from the neck. The tip of the snout is slightly but distinctly upturned. Males are generally grey in color while the females can be grey, brown and various shades of orange. The dorsal markings vary strongly but only rarely take the form of a clear zigzag pattern. Distribution Asp Vipers are found in France, Andorra, northeastern Spain, extreme southwestern Germany in the southern Black Forest, Switzerland, Italy, San Marino, and northwestern Slovenia. These snakes have specific habitat requirements. They need warm areas that are exposed to the sun, structured vegetation and comparatively dry soils. In Italy and France, they are often found in areas with low mountains or hills, notably in limestone regions, but sometimes occur in lower plains. They prefer vegetated areas or environments with at least some coverage. Here they can be found on sunny slopes, ...