The morphologies of 164 adders (Vipera berus berus) were analyzed in order to assess if morphological differences occur between the Northern and the Italian clades. Pholidosis and some corporal proportions were measured, corresponding to 17 parameters. Several parameters show significant differences between clades (e.g., subcaudals, labials, sublabials, parietal scales). Moreover, discriminant analyses separate both clades with high degrees of accuracy of a correct classifying.
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292We give an overview of the Vipera berus killing and collecting in Hungary between 1950-1970, based on a review of the forestry and hunting periodicals published in Hungary during this period and the collection catalogues of Museum’s that store Hungarian adders. Peculiarly the killing of adders was encouraged or even funded by the Hungarian state authorities almost 50 years after the last big slaughter of “venomous snakes” in Europe (last known from Carinthia in 1916). Data on 1008 collected and killed adders have been gathered, from the three geographical regions of Hungary inhabited by the species. Thus 676 specimens (33.8 spec./year) are known to have been removed from the Zemplén Hills, most of them on request of the local Forestry Commission; 198 (9.9 spec./year) from the Valley of the Upper Tisza River, respectively 134 (6.7 specimens/year) specimens collected in Somogy and Zala counties for scientific purposes.
In 1999 and 2004, we published reports on how the introduction of 20 males into a severely inbred and isolated population of Adders (Vipera berus) halted its decline towards extinction. The introduction significantly enhanced the population’s genetic variability, which resulted in a dramatic increase in offspring viability and a rapid increase in numbers. Unfortunately, recently a new and unprecedented development is threatening the population’s future survival. In 2004 permission was granted by the Swedish Nature Conservation Agency of the County Administrative Board to build a house and an adjacent 1 m tall brick wall, right across the habitat occupied by the Adders. The construction of the house and brick wall in 2006 has prevented the majority of the snakes from undertaking their annual migration within the study area, resulting in an extirpation > 75% of the Adders. This reduction seriously impedes the future survival of this unique population.
During a study of adders (Vipera berus) in Wyre Forest, a systematic method was developed to identify individuals in the field. It was revealed that no two adders possessed identical head markings. It was shown that a photographic record was a reliable aid to identification. Furthermore it was observed that over the period of study adders retained their individual head markings.
Morphological characters of the typical form of the common adder, Vipera berus, and its black form, so-called «Vipera nikolskii,» distributed in the partially wooded steppe of the Oka - Don plain, were investigated. Taxonomic status of black form is discussed.
In order to contribute to the debate about southern glacial refugia used by temperate species and more northern refugia used by boreal or cold-temperate species, we examined the phylogeography of a widespread snake species (Vipera berus) inhabiting Europe up to the Arctic Circle. The analysis of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence variation in 1043 bp of the cytochrome b gene and in 918 bp of the noncoding control region was performed with phylogenetic approaches. Our results suggest that both the duplicated control region and cytochrome b evolve at a similar rate in this species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that V. berus is divided into three major mitochondrial lineages, probably resulting from an Italian, a Balkan and a Northern (from France to Russia) refugial area in Eastern Europe, near the Carpathian Mountains. In addition, the Northern clade presents an important substructure, suggesting two sequential colonization events in Europe. First, the continent was colonized from the three main refugial areas mentioned above during the Lower-Mid Pleistocene. Second, recolonization of most of Europe most likely originated from several refugia located outside of the Mediterranean peninsulas (Carpathian region, east of the Carpathians, France and possibly Hungary) during the Mid-Late Pleistocene, while populations within the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas fluctuated only slightly in distribution range, with larger lowland populations during glacial times and with refugial mountain populations during interglacials, as in the present time. The phylogeographical structure revealed in our study suggests complex recolonization dynamics of the European continent by V. berus, characterized by latitudinal as well as altitudinal range shifts, driven by both climatic changes and competition with related species.
During the past three years the author has regularly visited a small nature reserve in East Yorkshire to see the colony of Adders Vipera berus living there. In order to monitor the behaviour and movement of individual Adders during the year, a procedure has been developed which facilitates identification without handling or significantly disturbing the snakes. So that each Adder is correctly recognised, with some degree of certainty, whether from a fleeting glimpse or from photographs, several working aids to identification have been used so far. Work is in progress and record keeping has involved the use of codes using abbreviations and numbers. Other workers have used the distinct head markings of adders to identify individual snakes; this study uses the same technique, together with the arrangement, shape and number of head scales, body colour and dorsal markings.
Envenomation by the common European adder (Vipera berus berus) causes clinical renal injury in dogs. In this study, serum concentrations of albumin, creatinine, total protein and urea were measured in 32 dogs bitten by adders. Urinary creatinine, protein, and retinol binding protein 4 concentrations, and the activities of c-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), were measured in 32 affected dogs and 23 healthy controls. Clinical assessment was conducted with a grading scale and a renal function score was applied to classify dogs based on laboratory findings. Urinary protein:creatinine, GGT:creatinine and ALP:creatinine ratios appear to be useful in evaluating renal impairment in dogs with adder envenomation. Increasing kidney function score was correlated with increased urinary ALP:creatinine and GGT:creatinine ratios.
Between April and September every year, many dogs in Finland are bitten by Vipera berus berus, also known as the European adder, the only venomous snake in the area. Exposure to snake bite venom causes local and systemic symptoms and in severe cases can lead to death. Urine samples were collected from four dogs bitten by V. berus berus and treated in the intensive care unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of Helsinki. The inclusion criteria were a strong suspicion of an adder bite no more than two days before admission and clinical signs of an adder bite. Exclusion criteria were defined as ongoing treatment with glucocorticoids or a known history of liver or kidney diseases. Six privately owned, healthy dogs were obtained as controls. Samples were subjected to 2D-DIGE analysis. Image analysis was performed with DeCyder 7.0 2D software, and protein spots demonstrating a minimum 1.5-fold difference in average spot volume ratios between envenomed and control dogs with a Student’s t-test p-value of less than 0.05 were picked and identified using LC–MS/MS. In 2D-DIGE analysis, seven proteins were significantly (p < 0.05) over-expressed in the urine of dogs bitten by V. berus berus compared to the control group. From these, five proteins were identified: beta-2-microglobulin (b2MG), alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), albumin, fetuin-B and superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Results indicate that envenomation by V. berus berus alter the urinary protein profile in dogs.
Morphological variation of vipers of the Vipera berus complex in Eastern Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Western and Central Ukraine was studied using multivariate statistics. Discriminant analysis, based on ten meristic characters in 89.7% of cases (males) and in 92.0% cases (females), was able to separate reference samples of subspecies Vipera berus berus and Vipera berus nikolskii and was conducted to classify snakes from the studied territory. According to these results, V. b. nikolskii inhabits the broad-leaved forests in the forest-steppe zone in the Republic of Moldova, the hilly part of Eastern Romania and Central Ukraine. Specimens from a contact zone between V. b. berus and V. b. nikolskii have intermediate morphology and, thus, could represent the result of introgression. Populations of the Nikolsky’s viper from the western part of its range combine high level of morphological differentiation from V. b. berus with the presence of non-black specimens and even include populations without melanistic specimens, previously thought not to occur in this taxon. A morphological description of the largest samples is given and determination of V. b. nikolskii is discussed.
The study of age changes of amidolytic activity of Vipera berus venom is investigated using mixtures of chromogenic peptide substrates differing by detected groups. Quantities of venom (total protein content) and its proteolytic activity from snakes of different ages were compared. The venom composition of newly born adders was shown to be considerably different from the venom composition of young (12-month) adders of the same population. The next evolution of protease activity is weakly expressed.
