# Vipera ammodytes meridionalis



## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

this little guy has to be the highlight of my recent trip to corfu. the most stunning, clean and perfectly marked of ammodytes i have seen.

finding this guy also had other advantages. Corfu, along with almost every other greek community, arent known for loving animals greatly. in fact most greeks only like animals when they are cooked. snakes dont escape this prosecution, with the well known "see a snake kill a snake" philosophy well and truly engrained in their culture. 
i was staying in the north west, with friends who own a lovely house in a very isolated area with olive groves for miles. these friends sadly also employ this stance when they see a snake, and it saddens me greatly, for in the immediate area there was a visible decline in the snake population when compared with just a few years ago - attributable it seems to one of my friends - the 76 year old alex who claims to have killed over a hundred adult snakes and many more juveniles in the past 2 years - a huge number given the relatively small size of the area. 
This particular ammodytes was found about a half hour drive from magoulades where we were staying in an old monastery near agios spiridon. needless to say, my exasperated attemts to explain to them various things without the use of a snake with which to demonstrate on was difficult, and without reward, so i bagged this fella up and took him back.
A while later and i think i have now wiped that culture from those hills. it seems they did not know for example, that a snake is able to strike a third of its body distance or longer - therefore making it extremely dangerous to attempt to kill an ammodytes for example - with a spoon. they also did not know that many snakes preyed on rodents - including rats which cause many issues in the hills. they were also under the impression that snakes were extremely aggressive, and that all were venomous - a myth quickly dispelled when i found a dahls whip snake, and proceeded to free handle it. he was initially more intent on getting away, but i eventually did get a nip from him. a week later they finally succumbed to the fact that my theory was in fact the truth, and not all snakes are venomous. 
a few more words on recognition, i.e this is the nose horned viper, ever so slightly dangerous, if you see one dont go near it. 

needless to say they have promised not to kill snakes but leave them be - a moral victory and one i feel very important to the ecosystem in that particular part of the island.

right - enough waffling on, some photos of the ammo. apologies for poor photos, was not me photographing!











































and the release, back onto his pile of rubble - and doubly stunning in its element.


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## abandonallhope (Jun 19, 2009)

:notworthy:


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

It sounds like you were in contact with an isolated tribe who believe snakes to be evil spirits, not Greeks, surely some of them must have been better informed than that?

Either way cool pictures mate.


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

noone is there to inform them differantly. it goes for many greek farmers. there are no people to tell them differant so they go by what they have been told by their parents.

even better informed greeks frequently despise snakes and believe them to be dangerous.


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## Pono (Jan 21, 2008)

I went to Thassos 2 weeks ago, and wasn't lucky enough to see a viper. I did have a look for some snakes though (obviously responsibly) but couldn't find any. It seemed the Greeks in Thassos hated snakes aswell which was outlined in the holliday guide, and so many are being killed, i couldn't find one snake after a week of searching . A very good find, and well done for helping educate the locals 

Ed


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

vipers arent the easiest of snakes to find either - unlike many colubrids which may move when you approack allowing you to see them vipera dont, they are quite happy sitting extremely still, you may well have looked at one without knowing it. its one of those things where i feel indebted to the zoologists that have taken me under their wing in central america, i have learnt such a vast amount about field herping i feel alot more "tuned in" with wildlife - i spot things now that i wuld never have 3 years ago, this ammo included


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

carpy said:


> vipers arent the easiest of snakes to find either - unlike many colubrids which may move when you approack allowing you to see them vipera dont, they are quite happy sitting extremely still, you may well have looked at one without knowing it. its one of those things where i feel indebted to the zoologists that have taken me under their wing in central america, i have learnt such a vast amount about field herping i feel alot more "tuned in" with wildlife - i spot things now that i wuld never have 3 years ago, this ammo included


Vipera Berus move very fast when you aproach them...


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## jasonkwong135 (Mar 27, 2009)

:2thumb:good job man


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## Alex M (May 28, 2008)

Owzy said:


> Vipera Berus move very fast when you aproach them...


Was going to say the same thing. Nice ammodytes though Carpy


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## snakekeeper (Oct 29, 2008)

I live in Greece and it's true, over 90% of Greeks fear snakes and would prefer them dead. I have advised many people about the advantages of leaving them alone and not killing them but it goes through one ear and out the other. Vipera ammodytes are abundant here where I live, I get to see them almost everyday. Haven't yet come across the v.ursini, v.berus, macroviperas, or the montiviperas. Seen loads of cat snakes (T.fallax), whipsnakes and other ratsnakes. Greece also has 2 rear-fanged species; Telescopus fallax (cat snake),  Malpolon monspessulanus (sabita).


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

Alex M said:


> Was going to say the same thing. Nice ammodytes though Carpy


i guess fast is a relative term, i have never seen a berus move "fast" in the true sense of the term. i dont know of the ones i have seen its a pretty even split between ones that stay still if you walk past them, and those that move. i think many more sit and remain unnoticed!



snakekeeper said:


> I live in Greece and it's true, over 90% of Greeks fear snakes and would prefer them dead. I have advised many people about the advantages of leaving them alone and not killing them but it goes through one ear and out the other. Vipera ammodytes are abundant here where I live, I get to see them almost everyday. Haven't yet come across the v.ursini, v.berus, macroviperas, or the montiviperas. Seen loads of cat snakes (T.fallax), whipsnakes and other ratsnakes. Greece also has 2 rear-fanged species; Telescopus fallax (cat snake),  Malpolon monspessulanus (sabita).


its sad really. i have yet to see the Telescopus although that is one of the species i would most like to see - it is questionable whether or not they are found in corfu.

i should be taking a little trip to corfu and greece in december / january, will see what i come up with then. do you know if they hibernate in greece snakekeeper?


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## Alex M (May 28, 2008)

carpy said:


> i guess fast is a relative term, i have never seen a berus move "fast" in the true sense of the term. i dont know of the ones i have seen its a pretty even split between ones that stay still if you walk past them, and those that move. i think many more sit and remain unnoticed!


Perhaps 'fast' was the wrong word, what i was agreeing with the other poster was that most berus when spotted won't hang around for too long and will quickly move off when spotted. This is from observations of following this species in Dorset for just over 2 decades. Granted, i've seen some braver specimens that rely on their camouflage BUT as a rule, if berus feel they've been spotted they won't hang around for long.


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## trueviper (Jan 13, 2008)

Nothing worse than some peoples' ignorance about the natural world and how they feel living things should be destoyed.

Makes my f:censor::censor:ing blood boil.......


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