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259Die vorgestellten ganzheitlichen Bemühungen zum Schutz der Kreuzotter und ihrer gefährdeten Lebensstätten sind das Ergebnis einer mehr als 25jährigen Freizeitarbeit. Diese Langzeit-Erfassungen bilden die fachliche Grundlage für die beschriebenen praktischen Artenschutzmaßnahmen. Die Erhaltung moorbestimmter Lebensräume ist ein Schwerpunkt des Kreuzotterschutzes, zumal sie Lebensstätte weiterer seltener und gefährdeter Tiere und Pflanzen von europäischer, bundes- und landesweiter Bedeutung sind. Im Ergebnis einer fachlich fundierten und öffentlich-keitswirksamen ehrenamtlichen Freizeitarbeit sind zwei Sommergebiete der Kreuzotter als Naturschutzgebiete festgesetzt. Mit den örtlich zuständigen Forstämtern besteht eine ergebnisorientierte Zusammenarbeit zur Erhaltung bzw. Wiederherstellung von Sommergebieten sowie Sonn- und Paarungsplätzen der Kreuzotter. Alle Naturschutzmaßnahmen werden durch eine systematische naturkundliche Öffentlichkeitsarbeit (Vorträge, Fachtagungen, Exkursionen, Ausstellungen, Pressebeiträge, Publikationen) intensiv begleitet.
The phylogeography of a wide ranging temperate species, the adder, Vipera berus, was investigated using several genetic tools, with special emphasis on the post-glacial colonisation pattern of Fennoscandia. The area was colonised from two directions by adder populations representing different glacial refugia. The two populations meet in three places and the main contact zone is situated in Northern Finland. The two other contact zones are the result of dispersal across the Baltic Sea to the Umeå archepelago and South-Western Finland. Asymmetrically distributed nuclear genetic variation compared to mitochondrial DNA in the northern contact zone suggests a skewed gene flow from the east to the west across the zone. This pattern might reflect differences in dispersal among sexes and lineages, or may be accounted for by a selective advantage for nuclear variation of eastern origin among Fennoscandian adders.
The phylogeographic pattern for adders across the entire species range was addressed by sequencing part of the mitochondrial genome and scoring microsatellite markers. The adder can be divided into three major genetic groups. One group is confined to the Balkan peninsula harbouring the distribution range of V. b. bosniensis. A second, well differentiated group is restricted to the Southern Alps. These two areas have probably served as refugia for adders during a number of ice ages for the adders. The third group is distributed across the remainder of the species’ range, from extreme Western Europe to Pacific Russia and can be further divided into one ancestral group inhabiting the Carpathians refugial area, and three more recent groups inhabiting areas west, north and east of the Alps. The adder provides an example of a species where the Mediterranean areas are housing endemic populations, rather than the sources for post-glacial continental colonisation. Continent-wide colonisation has instead occurred from up to three cryptic northern refugia.
Objective.—Vipera berus is the only naturally occurring venomous snake in Poland. Its venom is primarily vasculotoxic and evokes both local and systemic findings. The aim of the study was to review a series of clinical cases of V berus bites occurring in southwest Poland.
Methods.—The charts of 26 patients (age range, 16–66 years; mean, 42 years) hospitalized with V. berus bites were retrospectively analyzed using a data collection tool. Demographic and clinical data were extracted.
Results.—The most common local findings of envenomation were edema of the bitten limb with associated extravasations observed in 24 (92.3%) patients, but in only 1 (3.8%) case did the edema spread to the trunk. In 22 (84.6%) cases edema disappeared within 2 weeks after the bite. Systemic disturbances observed in the patients were: shock (1 case), mild transient hypotension (1 case), prolonged hypotension (3 cases), bronchospasm and laryngeal edema (1 case), diarrhea (1 case), transient supraventricular arrhythmias (2 cases), neutrophilic hyperleukocytosis (2 cases), and thrombocytopenia below 50 000 cells/L (5 cases). In 16 patients (61.5%) the envenomation was classified as moderate and this type was predominant. Six cases were classified as severe. No fatal case was reported. Treatment included the administration of specific antivenom in 14 cases (in all severe and half of moderate cases) and symptomatic treatment applied in all cases.
Conclusions.—Moderate envenomation prevailed among the patients analyzed in the study. Antivenom treatment is primarily necessary in cases of severe (grade 3) and in some cases of moderate (grade 2) envenomation, especially in patients with persistent or recurring hypotension.
We review postcopulatory phenomena in the Swedish sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) and adder (Vipera berus), and in particular, links between female promiscuity, determinants of paternity, and offspring viability. In both species, females mate multiply and exhibit a positive relationship between the number of partners and off-spring viability. We conclude that this relationship is most likely the result of variable genetic compatibility between mates arising from postcopulatory phenomena, predominantly assortative fertilization with respect to parental genotypes. However, males who were more successful at mate acquisition were also more successful in situations of sperm competition, suggesting a possible link between male (diploid and haploid) genetic quality per se and probability of fertilization. Neither the number of partners nor the number of matings influenced the risk of infertility in sand lizards, suggesting that selection for reduced risk of infertility is not a sufficient explanation for maintaining female promiscuity in this population. Finally, we conclude that the relatively low genetic variability exhibited by our study populations may have facilitated detection of genetic benefits compared to more outbred ones. However, recent work derived from outbred populations in other taxa suggest a greater generality of the principles we discuss than previously may have been appreciated.
The records of albino, partial albino, and leucistic individuals among four species of European Viperinae (Vipera ammodytes, Vipera aspis, Vipera seoanei, and Vipera berus) were summarized based on literature records, museum material, reports of field herpetologists and herpetoculturists, and a short description of all reported specimens was made. For the first three species only scattered observations have been made (1, 1, and 6 reports), whereas at Vipera berus these defects proved to be more widespread (16 reports), and present an occurrence pattern shift to the Nordic countries. Different hypotheses are postulated on the offset geographic distribution pattern of albinism and leucism at this species, taking into account the differences in predation pressure and population densities between populations in Southern and Northern Europe. The possible negative effect of the color defects on the fitness and survival of the specimens carrying them is debated.
Given the importance of body size, and thereby growth rate, for many reproductive parameters in snakes, morphological traits conferring an advantage in terms of growth may be important targets of selection. Studies have demonstrated effects of vertebral number of growth rate in garter snakes. In this study effects of total number of body vertebrae and of number of abnormal body vertebrae (obtained by counting number of ventral scutes and number of abnormal scutes) on growth rate in free-ranging male and female adders, fi@a bm (I,.), are examined by calculating directional performance gradients (estimating linear effects) and stabilizing performance gradients (estimating curvilinear effects). After controlling for body size (SVL) female adders demonstrated a significant positive directional gradient for vertebral number, and a significant interaction between body size and vertebral number, showing that females with more vertebrae have higher size-speci6c growth rates, and that this effect is strongest among small, fast growing individuals. Females also showed a weak stabilizing effect of abnormal vertebrae. Males, on the other hand, showed a positive directional gradient for number of abnormal vertebrae, whereas no effect of vertebral number was observed. Indirect effects of the same variables were evaluated by use of path analysis. Generally, indirect effects were weak and did not substantially increase the amount of explained variance in growth rate. Field data showed that the correlation between vertebral number and growth rate in females was stronger in years with higher overall growth rate. To evaluate whether vertebral number and food availability show an interactive effect I used captive born juvenile adders in an experiment with two different food levels. The experiment confiied the field data. No relationship between vertebral number and growth was observed in the low food level group, whereas in the high fwd level group a significant positive correlation was demonstrated. Finally, the heritability of vertebral number was examined using a mother-offspring regression and a full-sib analysis. The estimated heritabilities were 0.30 and 0.39, respectively. From these results it is concluded that both vertebral number and abnormal vertebral number may significantly affect growth in adders, but that this effect may differ between sexes and among years.
The relationship between number of ventral scales, correlating with number of body vertebrae, and body size of adders, Vipera berus, was investigated using captive-born young and wild-caught adults (snout vent length >400 mm) from six populations in eastern Sweden. Females had significantly more ventral scales, and were larger, than males in all populations. Among adult individuals, snout vent length was highly positively correlated with Ihe number of ventral scales when differences due to sex and locality were controlled for. The same pattern was true for new¬born individuals when differences due to litter and sex were controlled for. The influence of number of ventral scales on survival and growth rate as possible causes of this positive correlation was examined. Mean number of ventral scales was lower in new-born snakes than in adults, indicating selection against individuals with a low scale count. Since this selection appears to take place in the early juvenile phase, it is inadequate to explain the relationship between adult body size and number of ventral scales. However, individuals with many ventral scales had significantly higher growth rates than individuals with few ventrals. This suggests that individuals with many ventral scales enjoy a higher growth rate and therefore are able to reach a larger size than their conspecifics of the same age with few ventral scales. This would explain the positive relationship between body size and ventral scale number observed in new-born and adult snakes.
In Slovak Republic and the region of Central and Eastern Europe the viper is the only species of venomous snake living in wild. During the last nine observed years (1993-2002) the Toxicological Information Center (TIC) was consulted in 81 cases of individuals attacked by snakes. 51 of these cases were by viper, rattlesnake 6, and green mamba once. 23 cases were by non-venomous snakes; adder 22 times and royal snake once. The viper and adder attacks occurred in the wild and the other cases with snake keepers. None of affected individuals died. Our contribution contains the new recommended therapy procedures for viper attack
Methods: All fifty-three dogs bitten by Vipera berus were examined the same day the dog was bitten and the next day. Two more examinations during 23 days post snake bite were included. Creatinine, creatine kinase (CK), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bile acid results were followed through 3 to 4 samplings from 34 of the dogs.
Results: All dogs had variable severity of local swelling in the bite area and 73 per cent had affected mental status. Initial cardiac auscultation examination was normal in all dogs, but six dogs had cardiac abnormalities at their second examination, including cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac murmurs. All dogs received fluid therapy, 36 dogs were given analgesics, 22 dogs were treated with glucocorticoids, and ten dogs were treated with antibiotics. Evidence of transient muscle damage (increased CK) was seen one day after the snake bite in 15 (54%) of 28 sampled dogs. Moderate changes in hepatic test results occurred in 1 dog and several dogs (22 of 34) had transient, minor increases in one or more hepatic test result. No dog died during the observation period as a consequence of the snake bite.
Conclusions: Snake bite caused local swelling in all dogs and mental depression of short duration in most dogs. Some dogs had transient clinical signs that could be indicative of cardiac injury and some other had transient biochemical signs of liver injury. Treatment with glucocorticoids did not have any clear positive or negative effect on clinical signs and mortality.
Background and Aims: The adder (Vipera Berus) is the only venomous snake that exists naturally in Scandinavia. The aim of this study is to estimate the severity of adder bites, to form a general picture of symptoms of bites and to find out how effective the present treatment methods of adder bites are.
Material and Methods: 68 true adder bites treated in Turku University Hospital during the years 1995–2000 were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: There were no deaths in this material. A bite caused severe symptoms to 10 % of the patients. The symptoms were moderate in 21 %, mild in 34 % and minor in 35 % of the cases. Children under 10 years were the proportionally biggest age group and severe poisonings were most frequent among small children. Rapidly progressive oedema, gastrointestinal symptoms, hypotension and early leucocytosis were signs of more severe poisonings. Antivenom therapy with specific ovine Fab antivenom proved to be an effective and safe treatment in severe poisonings.
Conclusions: An adder bite may also cause severe symptoms for adults. All patients should be observed at least few hours after the bite and parental fluid therapy should be started at an early stage. In the treatment of severe poisonings an antivenom therapy should be considered. Rapidly progressive symptoms and early leucocytosis may serve
as a warning signal for higher probability of severe reactions.
In Bavaria there are two main areas of distribution of the adder, which are very important for the conservation of the species in Germany: the eastern highlands and the pre-alpine hills and moorlands. Within these areas the adder still seemed to be rather widespread. In many other parts of its Bavarian range, however, it has vanished completely or is restricted to small isolated areas. Recent investigations in selected areas have shown that even populations within the distribution centres are partly declining due to an ongoing loss of habitats.
Introduction and objective: The common European adder (Vipera berus) is the only venomous snake that is found naturally in Poland. This study presents the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of V.berus bites in Eastern Poland and describes the methods of poisoning treatment.
Materials and methods: Medical documentation of 15 patients hospitalized at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections of the Medical University of Bialystok between 1998-2010 because of V.berus bite was analyzed retrospectively.
Results: Most of the snakebites were accidental (86.7% of the cases). The bites usually took place in forests (66.7% of the cases). The majority of patients were bitten in the lower extremity (8 cases, 53.3%), most often in the area of ankle joint. The severity of poisoning was usually minor to moderate. The most common local symptom was oedema (93.3% of the cases) and associated extravasations (73.3% of the cases). One patient experienced shock. Transient hypertension was observed in 3 cases. Mild coagulation disorders were present in 4 cases. In 4 cases, leukocytosis was observed. 86.7% of patients received the speci c antivenom. No fatal outcome and no adverse reactions after antivenom administration were reported.
Conclusions: In the majority cases of poisoning with V.berus venom, the poisoning takes a mild course, limited to local oedema, but sometimes it may lead to severe complications. The only speci c method of the treatment is antivenom administration.
