I post these pictures to show how difficult it can be to observe snakes in their biotopes, specially the viper species who have a multitude of different patterns and colors, you can't find 2 the same it's impossible. Are ALL different! On the pictures the snakes can look really big, but usually not overpass 60-80 cm (80 is exceptional). Many times it happened to me to see nothing and the snake was just 30cm of my feet, I never been attacked, NEVER, I don't say this can't happen but the snake will breath strong or disappear fast to hide, the venom (in the case of vipers) is too precious to eat for them. If I can get so close is because I walk very slow without stamp the feet (like we usually do in walking) on the ground. The cases of viper bites happens when the snake is surprised and can't escape, removing stones of screes, put the hands in exposed vegetations and biotopes or by manipulating them without precautions. The viper does NOT attack, it's only defense, and fear. They will rarely appear in high frequented places (like paths etc...), I always have to find them in ''difficult'' accesses and they don't travel many meters except in husbanding periods (march-may), they are always close to a place to hide and will always choose to escape rather than take the risk to be killed.
Please do NOT KILL those specimens, still happens to discover slashed ones by ignorant people, and those persons should stay in cities rather than waste their time in nature if they can't understand it and have respect of it. Snakes a very important for the food chain and first of all are ALL protected! Don't capture them this is restricted too, isn't it better to have a walk in nature and have such a great meeting rather than make suffer an animal by putting it in a box of 1 meter (usually less) for the rest of his days and give him a shit life behind a window?
I wont apology for my words but I really don't see the ''fun'' at taking a wild specie and put it in a terrarium for the rest of its life, ok if you find one stricken and want to heal it, but otherwise I think it's pathetic and disrespectful to do it. Many abuses occurs with the Ammodytes Vipers because they are beautiful specimens, but in my case (is my opinion and not necessary the only good one) I can't appreciate have a specie getting bored in a terrarium and waiting to die. Just see on internet techniques for ''force-feeding'' is disgusting!
I wish you live the same! enough talked let's place for the pictures :)
Here is the case of the Natrix Maura, can you find it?
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Here for the Vipera Aspis Atra
And another little selection here not hard to find but those pictures have been taken as the snake was, it has not been manipulated or so :
je comprend mieux pour quoi je ne voie jamais ;-)
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