Vipera Aspis Francisciredi/Italian Viper

Laurenti 1768

Here is a sub-specie of the Viper Aspis, the Francisciredi can be found mainly in Italy, south Switzerland and is particular for the additional white of the lines on the sides of the head, irregular patterns and orange color and the head is usually wider posteriorly. You can mistake it for an Aspis or Atra but once you see closer the differences are clear, I even noticed a little yellow on the tail of the 2nd specimen I found, a little nose appears too but is not very pronounced. Melanistic specimens can be find in this sub-specie.

First specimen discovered 

You can notice it is pregnant 

The notable addition of white on the side

The typical orange one

Here we can see the back of the head is wider than other Aspis

Here we have the complete details of the fragmented patterns, this is very common on the Francisciredi specimens.
It was also a BIG female pregnant, approx. 60cm

The yellow colored tail is the 1st thing I noticed when I discovered it.

Vipera Ammodytes Ruffoi

Bruno 1968

What an awesome day! Before going search this specimen I ask a lot around, I had many bad news, no informations, just near places like 50km around... Anyway was the good opportunity to move from my place and go see what happens! I totally understand people who don't want give any informations about this specie, too many go there and take them out of the biotopes to bring them back home, and this is intolerable! If they continue in 20 years the only way to see it will be in terrariums!

Anyway! I was searching for it with a friend, and I was really fortunate to discover it after only 10 minutes of walk in late morning very close to my feet, I can really say, this is my actual most beautiful discovery. As it was the 1st time I see this specimen, my sensation when I took it was ''trembling legs'', but so happy! We reached the goal of the day! We had a look for another one but... seriously it didn't matter have more, cause this one is a really beautiful one from a totally isolated place, you can find Redi Viper around, Berus (in a very surprising biotope) etc... There is still a debate about this specimen to determine if it is a sub-specie or not. Well the mood of this viper is quiet, surprisingly quiet, but had strange behaviors to compare with aspis species:

 It is faster, strong breath, and throat getting bigger when breathing, but bites only when really annoyed. This is a young female of approx. 50cm, but can reach 80-90cm. This specimen is considered as one of the most venomous of europe. It has a horn up of the nose, we touched it and is totally soft, the utility of this is still unknown, and its tail is colored in reddish at the extremity for attract preys. This is the most evolved snake we have here due to this particularities. There are other Ammodytes specimens and species, sub-species in mainly eastern europe, that I will probably visit next spring. Well thanks to my friend S.Clerc who helped me taking the pictures. 

Absolutely beautiful patterns 

Portrait shot with 100mm macro

Reddish tail as mentionned

Vipera Aspis Atra im Oberwallis

Today I discovered new places im Oberwallis for Vipera Aspis Atra, and was an excellent day cause I found 10 speciemens! It never happened to me to find so much in a couple of hours, the weather was stormy and this explains why they were all out, many animals have a strange behavior in case of storms. And I will be there soon again cause I took in picture the most beautiful specimens I ever found of this specie! Have a look at the pictures, they almost all have a kind of ''V'' or ''heart'' on the head! This was really an unbelievable day, and no lies, all those specimens were found in the same 500m2! I wish you the same luck if you practice this kind of ''herping''! thanks for having a look.

P.S. The exposition for the camera was really hard with all the clouds, I hope they are good enough!

Here is the first specimen, unbelievable patterns, was impossible to not see it in the grass :

Few meters after a young specimen very quiet :

Then as I was taking the picture a third one appeared at 1 meter and its eye was specially dark :

Still walking in the stones I found near the grass one who had a BIG digestion :

 I losed my swiss-knife so I went back on my steps and found other specimens (yes unbelievable day) here is the 1st :

Then another one in digestion :

Finally my knife refunded and... this one by taking another path to the car :

Now is the time for the most beautiful one I ever found, there's no word to express in my opinion:

Another young one appeared 10 meters of my car :

And also this one was close to the precedent as I was putting it back in a safer place far from the road :

PLEASE! Remember that all the pictures of this blog are not free for use, this takes hours, patience and a lot of practice, please don't steal this work and feel free to send me over an email if you're interested in any of this pictures, I have for sure many others of the same species! Thanks.