Vipera aspis atra

Vipera aspis atra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Subfamily: Viperinae
Genus: Vipera
Species: V. aspis
Subspecies: V. a. atra
Trinomial name
Vipera aspis atra
Meisner, 1820
Synonyms
  • Vipera atra Meisner, 1820
  • Vipera aspis atra — Meisner, 1820
  • Vipera aspis var. nigra
    Bonaparte, 1834
  • Vipera aspis var. rubriventris
    Bonaparte, 1834
  • Vipera aspis var. nigra
    — Massalongo, 1854
  • Vipera aspis var. immaculata
    — Calderini, 1878
  • Vipera aspis var. Calderinii
    De Betta, 1879
  • [Vipera aspis] var. infernalis
    F. Müller, 1880
  • Mesovipera morathi lepontica
    A.F. Reuss, 1938
  • Vipera (Rhinaspis) aspis atra
    — Obst, 1983
  • Vipera aspis typus Golay et al., 1993[1]
Common names: black asp, black viper.[2]

Vipera aspis atra is a venomous viper subspecies[3] endemic to France, Switzerland and Italy.[4]

Geographic range

It is found in western Switzerland, northwestern Italy, Spain, and southeastern France.[4] Mallow et al. (2003) describe the range only as "portions of Switzerland".[5]

Conservation status

This subspecies is classified as Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001).[6][7]

Taxonomy

A recent study by Ursenbacher et al. (2006) suggests that V. a. atra may not be a valid subspecies.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, Volume 1. Herpetologists' League. 511 pp. ISBN 1-893777-00-6 (series). ISBN 1-893777-01-4 (volume).
  2. ↑ Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. ISBN 0-8069-6460-X.
  3. ↑ "Vipera aspis atra". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 August 2006.
  4. 1 2 Vipera aspis at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database
  5. ↑ Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. ISBN 0-89464-877-2.
  6. 1 2 Vipera aspis at IUCN Red List. Accessed 6 October 2006.
  7. ↑ 2001 Categories & Criteria (version 3.1)IUCN Red List. Accessed 6 October 2006.

Further reading

  • Meisner F. 1820. "12. Ueber die in der Schweiz einheimischen Schlangen überhaupt und die Vipern insbesonere." pp. 89–95. In: Museum der Naturgeschichte Helvetiens. Band I. Bern: Burgdorfer. 98 pp. (Vipera atra, pp. 93–94.)
  • Ursenbacher S, Conelli A, Golay P, Monney JC, Zuffi MAL, Thiery G, Durand T, Fumagalli L. 2006. Phylogeography of the asp viper (Vipera aspis) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence data: Evidence for multiple Mediterranean refugial areas. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38 (2): 546-552.
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