Beware the Deadly Asp Viper!

The European asp viper is literally a “snake in the grass.” The serpent’s bite is painful and deadly especially for field workers since they spend their time in the grasslands. In Europe, a majority of snake bite cases are because of this viper. In fact, the asp viper makes up nine out of ten snake bites in the country of Italy.

The asp viper is found across multiple European countries, most commonly found in Switzerland, France, and Italy. It is important for asp vipers to live in warm and hidden areas as they wander through mountains, meadows, grass fields, woodlands, and many more natural areas.

The appearance of the viper is what makes it a dangerous hunter. Usually, the asp viper has grey, brown, orange, copper and green markings, allowing this creature to camouflage easily in the wild. The average size of the viper is 20-24 inches, with the females being 4-6 inches longer than the males. When hunting, the viper uses its eyes to calculate its prey’s distance and attacks using its wide jaws. Prey is easily killed by the bite of the viper’s strong and fangs that release deadly doses of venom enough to kill humans.

Asp vipers live above the treeline and up the sides of mountains. During the fall, the vipers begin to hibernate. They go into holes in the ground or walls, or into hollow tree-trunks. Around late March, they begin to emerge when the weather is warm.

Asp vipers are fascinating creatures, but you have to be careful as they can strike if you wake them up from their sleep. Be careful in fields of grass and even garbage dumpsters!

[Source: Snakes and Reptiles ]

Super interesting information. Hopefully no one falls victim to an asp viper. Keep it up, Joseph! – Leilani , Madison College (2021-11-03 18:00)
This is a very well written article from a young rockstar kid like yourself Joseph! I enjoyed learning about the deadly asp viper! – Evelin , Madison college (2021-11-03 18:06)
Thank you Dulce for telling me these cool facts about Pluto that I didn't know Good Job on your article!! – Sol Garduza , Glendale Elementry (2021-11-03 20:19)
Great article Joseph!! I didn't know all of this about the Asp Viper thank you for teaching me. – Sol Garduza , Glendale Elementry (2021-11-03 20:21)
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