Vipera dinniki

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Common names: Dinnik's viper, Caucasus subalpine viper.^[2]  
 
Vipera dinniki is a venomous viper species found in Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.^[1] No subspecies are currently recognized.^[3]

Description[edit]

Of the 49 Russian specimens examined by Orlov and Tuniyev (1990), 29 were males and the largest measured 41.2 cm. Of the 20 females, the largest was 48.6 cm in length.^[2]

Geographic range[edit]

Found in Russia (Great Caucasus) and Georgia (high mountain basin of the Inguri River), eastward to Azerbaijan. According to Nikolsky (1916), the type locality is "upper reaches of the Malaya Laba 8000 feet above sea level ... and Svanetia, 7000 feet above sea level." According to Nilson et al. (1995), Vedmederja et al. (1986) restricted it to "Malaya Laba" through lectotype selection. Orlov and Tuniyev (1990) give the lectotype locality as "Upper reaches of the Malaya (Small) Laba River, Northern Caucasus".^[1]

Conservation status[edit]

This species is classified Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with the following criteria: C1+2a (v2.3, 1994).^[4] This indicates that the population is estimated to number less than 10,000 mature individuals. A continued decline of at least 10% is expected within 10 years or three generations, whichever is longer. In addition, a continued decline is expected due to a severely fragmented population structure, with no subpopulation estimated to contain more than 1,000 mature individuals. Year assessed: 1996.^[5]

References[edit]