European Viper

Vipera berus

A Friendly Viper?

The European Viper, Vipera berus, is also known as the European Adder, the Common Adder, and the Common Viper. This species is found throughout most of Europe and a large part of Asia. While this viper is venomous, it isn’t considered dangerous. The viper is not very aggressive and usually only bites when disturbed. However, you’d have a hard time calling this species a friendly viper; it’s a bit of an oxymoron.

What does the European Viper eat?

The most common prey for the European Viper include small mammals, birds, lizards, amphibians ,and in some cases, spiders, worms and insects.

Reproduction

Female vipers breed once every two to three years with litters of three to 20 young born in late summer to early autumn. The snake is ovoviviparous (eggs hatch within the female’s body). Young stay with their mom for only a few days.

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Written by Rob Nelson

Rob is an ecologist from the University of Hawaii. He is the co-creator and director of Untamed Science. His goal is to create videos and content that are entertaining, accurate, and educational. When he's not making science content, he races whitewater kayaks and works on Stone Age Man.

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