Vipera latastei
species of reptile
Vipera latastei, also known commonly as Lataste's viper, the snub-nosed viper, and the snub-nosed adder, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Maghreb. Three extant subspecies and one extinct subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Etymology
The specific name latastei, is in honor of Boscá's French colleague, herpetologist Fernand Lataste, who would a year later return him the honor, by naming after him a discovery of his own, Boscá's newt (Lissotriton boscai).
Description
V. latastei grows to a maximum total length (including tail) of about 72 cm (28.3 in), but usually less. It is grey in colour, has a triangular head, a "horn" on the tip of its nose, and a zig-zag pattern on its back. The tip of the tail is yellow.
Behaviour
V. latastei can be seen day or night but is usually hidden under rocks. The yellow tip of the tail is possibly used to lure prey.
Geographic range
V. latastei is found in southwestern Europe (Portugal and Spain) and northwestern Africa (the Mediterranean region of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia).
“Vipera latastei” enters the record as species of reptile. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Vipera, latastei and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Vipera latastei” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.