asp viper

Grows to an average length of 60-65 cm. Males reach a maximum of 85 cm, females rarely more than 75 cm. Males, however, are a little slimmer than females. The tail is very short: one-seventh to one-ninth of total body length in females, and one-sixth to one-eighth in males.

Vipera aspis is a venomous viper species found in southwestern Europe. Bites from this species can be more severe than from the European adder, V. berus; not only can they be very painful, but according to Stemmler (1971), about 4% of all untreated bites are fatal. The specific name, aspis, is a Greek word that means "viper." Five subspecies are currently recognized, including the typical form described here.