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Vipera nikolskii

Vipera nikolskii
BennyTrapp Vipera nikolskii.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Viperidae
Genus: Vipera
Species: V. nikolskii
Binomial name
Vipera nikolskii
Vedmederja, Grubant & Rudajewa, 1986

Vipera nikolskii is a venomous viper species endemic to Ukraine, eastern Romania, and southwestern Russia. No subspecies are currently recognized.

The specific name, nikolskii, is in honor of Russian herpetologist Alexander Mikhailovich Nikolsky.

Adults of V. nikolskii are short and thick-bodied, growing to a maximum total length (body + tail) of 680 mm (27 in).

Holotype: ZDKU 14704, according to Golay et al. (1993).

V. nikolskii is found in Central Ukraine and southwestern Russia. Mallow et al. (2003) mention that the distribution is concentrated in the forest-steppe zone of the Charkov region in Ukraine.

The type locality, according to Golay et al. (1993), is the banks of the Uda River, between Besljudovka and Vasishtshevo, near Kharkov.

Also, Vipera nikolskii was recently found in the eastern and southern part of Romania and Basarabia (Republic of Moldova) by Zinenko et al. (2010) and Strugariu & Zamfirescu (2008).


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