Marsh turtle (Black Sea population). swamp turtle

The tortoise is an animal of the chordate type, reptile class, order of the turtle (Testudines). These animals have existed on planet Earth for over 220 million years.

The turtle received its Latin name from the word "testa", meaning "brick", "tile" or "clay vessel". The Russian analogue comes from the Proto-Slavic word čerpaxa, which in turn comes from the modified Old Slavic word "čerpъ", "shard".

Turtle - description, characteristics and photos

turtle shell

A characteristic feature of turtles is the presence of a shell, which is designed to protect the animal from natural enemies. turtle shell consists of dorsal (carapace) and ventral (plastron) parts. The strength of this protective cover is such that it easily withstands a load exceeding the weight of a turtle by 200 times. The carapace consists of two parts: an inner armor made of bone plates, and an outer one made of horny shields. In some species of turtles, the bone plates are covered with dense skin. The plastron was formed thanks to the fused and ossified sternum, clavicles and abdominal ribs.

Depending on the species, the size and weight of the turtle vary significantly.

Among these animals there are giants weighing more than 900 kg with a carapace size of 2.5 meters or more, but there are small turtles whose body weight does not exceed 125 grams, and the shell length is only 9.7-10 cm.

Turtle head and eyes

turtle head has a streamlined shape and medium size, which allows you to quickly hide it inside a safe haven. However, there are species with large heads that do not fit well or not at all in the shell. In some representatives of the genus, the tip of the muzzle looks like a kind of "proboscis" ending in nostrils.

Due to the peculiarities of the way of life on land, the eyes of the turtle look at the ground. In water representatives of the detachment, they are located closer to the crown and are directed forward and upward.

The neck of most turtles is short, however, certain types it can be compared with the length of the carapace.

Do turtles have teeth? How many teeth does a turtle have?

To bite off and grind food, turtles use a hard and powerful beak, the surface of which is covered with rough bumps that replace teeth. Depending on the type of food, they can be razor-sharp (in predators) or with jagged edges (in herbivores). The ancient turtles that lived 200 million years ago, unlike modern individuals, had real teeth. The tongue of turtles is short and serves only for swallowing, not for capturing food, so it does not protrude.

Limbs and tail of turtles

A turtle has 4 legs in total. The structure and functions of the limbs depend on the lifestyle of the animal. Species that live on land have flattened forelimbs adapted for digging soil, and powerful hind legs. For insipid aquatic turtles characterized by the presence of leathery membranes facilitating swimming between the fingers on all four paws. In sea turtles, the limbs in the process of evolution were transformed into peculiar flippers, and the size of the front ones is much larger than the back ones.

Almost all turtles have a tail, which, like the head, is hidden inside the shell. In some species, it ends in a nail-like or pointed spike.

Turtles have well-developed color vision, which helps them in finding food, and excellent hearing, which allows them to hear enemies at a considerable distance.

Turtles molt, as do many reptiles. In land species, molting affects the skin in a small amount; in aquatic turtles, molting occurs imperceptibly.

During molting, transparent shields peel off from the shell, and the skin from the paws and neck comes off in tatters.

The life expectancy of a turtle in natural conditions can reach 180-250 years. With the onset of winter cold or summer drought, turtles go into hibernation, the duration of which can exceed six months.

Due to the weakly expressed sexual characteristics of turtles, it is very difficult to determine which of the animals is a “boy” and which is a “girl”. Nevertheless, if you approach the issue with care, having studied some of the external and behavioral characteristics of these exotic and interesting reptiles, then finding out their gender will not seem so difficult.

• shell

In the female, it usually has a more elongated, elongated shape compared to the male.

• Plastron (lower shell)

Turn the turtle over and look at it carefully - the shell from the side of the abdomen closer to the anus in female turtles is flat, in males it is slightly concave (by the way, this nuance facilitates the mating process).

• Tail

In male turtles, the tail is slightly longer, wider and thicker at the base, most often bent down. The tail of the "ladies" is short and straight.

• anal opening (cloaca)

In females, it is somewhat closer to the tip of the tail, shaped like an asterisk or a circle compressed on the sides. In male turtles, the anus is narrow, oblong, or slit-shaped.

• claws

In almost all species, except for the leopard tortoise, the claws of males on the forelimbs are longer than those of females.

• notch at the tail

Male turtles have a V-shaped notch at the back of the shell, which is necessary for mating turtles.

• Behavior

Male turtles are most often more active, and in mating season they are distinguished by aggressiveness towards the opponent and towards the “lady of the heart”, they pursue her, trying to bite, nod their heads in a funny way. The female at this time can calmly observe the "courtship", hiding her head in the shell.

• Some species of turtles have specific differences between females and males, such as color, size, or head shape.

Types of turtles - photo and description

The turtle squad consists of two suborders, divided by the way the animal puts its head into the shell:

• Hidden neck turtles, folding the neck in the form of the Latin letter "S";
• Side-necked turtles, hiding their heads towards one of the front paws.

According to the habitat of turtles, there is the following classification:

• Sea turtles (live in the seas and oceans)
• Land turtles (live on land or in fresh water)
  • Land turtles
  • freshwater turtles

In total, there are more than 328 species of turtles, forming 14 families.

Varieties of land turtles

• Galapagos tortoise (elephant) (Chelonoidis elephantopus)

The length of the shell of these turtles can reach 1.9 meters, and the weight of the turtle can exceed 400 kg. The size of the animal and the shape of the shell depend on the climate. In arid regions, the carapace is saddle-shaped, and the limbs of the reptile are long and thin. The weight of large males rarely exceeds 50 kg. In a humid climate, the shape of the dorsal carapace becomes domed, and the size of the animal increases significantly. The elephant tortoise lives in the Galapagos Islands.

• Egyptian tortoise (Testudo kleinmanni)

petty representative land turtles. The size of the carapace of males barely reaches 10 cm, females are slightly larger. The color of the shell of this species of turtles is brownish-yellow with a small border along the edges of the horny scutes. The Egyptian tortoise lives in northern Africa and the Middle East.

• Central Asian tortoise (Testudo (Agrionemys) horsfieldii)

a small reptile with a shell size up to 20 cm. The carapace has a rounded shape and is colored in yellowish-brown tones with darker spots of an indefinite shape. On the front limbs, these turtles have 4 fingers. The most popular type of turtle for home keeping, lives about 40-50 years. It lives in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, northeastern Iran, northwestern Pakistan and India.

• leopard turtle (panther turtle) (Geochelone pardalis)

The length of the carapace of this turtle exceeds 0.7 m, and the weight can reach 50 kg. The shell of this species of turtles is high and has a domed shape. Its coloration has sandy-yellow tones, on which, in young individuals, a spotted pattern of black or dark brown is clearly visible, which disappears as they grow older. This type of turtle lives in Africa.

• Cape spotted turtle ( Homopus Signatus)

world's smallest turtle. The length of her carapace does not exceed 10 cm, and the weight reaches 95-165 grams. Lives in South Africa and southern Namibia.

Types of freshwater turtles

• Painted turtle (decorated turtle) (Chrysemys picta)

A rather small species of turtles with individual sizes from 10 to 25 cm. The upper part of the oval dorsal shell has a smooth surface, and its color can be either olive green or black. The skin has the same color but with different stripes of red or yellow tone. They have leathery membranes between their toes. Lives in Canada and the USA.

• European bog turtle (Emys orbicularis)

The size of individuals can reach up to 35 cm, and weight 1.5 kg. The smooth, oval carapace is movably connected to the plastron and has a slightly convex shape. Representatives of this species have a very long tail (up to 20 cm). The color of the upper shell is brown or olive. The color of the skin is dark with yellow spots. The turtle lives in Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia.

• Red-eared turtle (yellow-bellied turtle) (Trachemys scripta)

The shell of these turtles can be up to 30 cm long. Its bright green coloring in young individuals eventually turns into yellow-brown or olive. Near the eyes on the head there are two spots of yellow, orange or red. This feature gave the species its name. lives in USA, Canada, Northwest South America(in northern Venezuela and Colombia).

• Cayman turtle (biting) (Chelydra serpentina)

A characteristic feature of the turtle is a cruciform plastron and a long tail, which is covered with scales with small spikes, as well as the skin of the head and neck. The size of the shell of these turtles can reach 35 cm, and the weight of an adult animal is 30 kg. Unfavourable conditions the caiman turtle is hibernating. This turtle lives in the USA and in the southeast of Canada.

Sea turtle species

• Turtle hawksbill (true carriage) (Eretmochelys imbricata)

The carapace of these turtles has the shape of a heart up to 0.9 m in size. The upper layer of the shell is painted in brown tones with a pattern in the form of multi-colored spots. In young individuals, the horny plates overlap each other like tiles, but as it grows, the overlap disappears. The front flippers of the animal are equipped with two claws. Bissa lives in latitudes northern hemisphere as well as in southern countries.

• Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

it is the largest tortoise in the world. The span of its front flipper-like limbs reaches 2.5 meters, the mass of reptiles is more than 900 kg, and the dimensions of the shell exceed 2.6 m. The surface of the upper shell is covered not with keratinized plates, but with dense skin, for which the species got its name. The turtle lives in the tropical regions of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

• Green turtle (soup turtle) (Chelonia mydas)

The weight of the turtle ranges from 70 to 450 kg, and the size of the shell is from 80 to 150 cm. The color of the skin and carapace can be either olive with a green tint or dark brown with various spots and stripes of white or yellow color. The tortoise shell has a small height and oval shape, and its surface is covered with large horny shields. Because of big size the heads of these reptiles do not hide it inside. inhabits green turtle in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Emys orbicularis

Description. A medium-sized turtle up to 23 cm long. The carapace is smooth, oval, slightly convex and connected to the plastron by a movable ligament. Axillary and inguinal shields are absent. Rear end the plastron is rounded and has no noticeable notch. From above, the shell is colored dark olive or brown-brown, with yellow dots or dashes, from below - dark brown or yellowish. The throat, legs and tail of the turtle are dark, with numerous yellow spots.

Males differ from females more long tail and slightly concave plastron; in females, the plastron is flat or slightly convex. In young animals, the carapace is rounded, with a median keel in the posterior part; eyes with red or orange pupils. Within the range, signs of external morphology vary greatly.

Spreading. The bog turtle is common in the South. and Center. Europe, Western Asia, North-West. Africa, in the Crimea, in the Caucasus in the Aral Sea region and in southwestern Turkmenistan (Terentyev and Chernov, 1949).

In Russia, this species is found in the central and southern regions of the European part and in the Caucasus. Small isolated populations of turtles are known in Moscow and the Leningrad region.

Within the species, 13 subspecies are distinguished, of which 5 inhabit the territory of the former USSR. In the European part of Russia, there is a nominative subspecies that occupies most of the species range. In Dagestan and in the basin of the river. Kura (from the mouth to the west to Gori) lives the Iberian tortoise, E.o. iberica Eichwald, 1831 (= E.o. Kurae Fritz, 1994).

Lifestyle. Inhabits forest, steppe and forest-steppe regions. It lives in swamps, ponds, lakes, floodplains, oxbow lakes, canals, preferring flat water bodies. As a rule, the turtle stays close to water bodies, although it can move away from them for a short distance. She swims and dives well, can stay under water for a long time. The number in Transcarpathia is 5-8 individuals per 1 km of the route, in Turkmenistan from 3.2 individuals (rivers west of Kopetdag) to 11.1 individuals per 1 km along the banks of flat water bodies. The maximum number was noted in the Astrakhan region - 58 individuals on a segment of 150 m, in the Stavropol Territory 75 - 125 ind./ha. In Kalmykia, on the left bank of the Volga, in lakes Turepashye and others, there were 60-75 individuals per 1 km of the coastal strip. In Dagestan, in the delta of the Terek River and in the Agrakhan Bay, there are 20-30 individuals per 100 m of the coastal strip. Active during the day and at dusk. During the day it basks in the sun for many hours, at night it sleeps at the bottom of the reservoir. In case of danger and during wintering, it burrows into the silt. Wintering from late October - early November to April - May. In the spring it emerges from wintering at an air temperature of 6 - 14 o C and a water temperature of 5-10 o C. warm years may be active in winter. Mating occurs in late April-early May. The female makes 1-3 clutches per season, depending on the area, from 3-13 white eggs with a calcareous shell measuring 28-39 mm x 12-21 mm. The female lays her eggs in a hole 10-17 cm deep. Incubation period lasts 60 - 110 days. Newborns with a carapace length of 20-25 mm hatch from eggs in the Krasnodar Territory from early August to early October. Most of the young do not surface until the next spring.

The turtle eats a variety of foods, mostly of animal origin. On land, the basis of food is insects (most often orthopterans and beetles), nodule and wood lice. In the water, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles, frogs and, less often, fish, mostly snails or fry, are harvested. The turtle's diet also includes algae, higher near-water and aquatic plants.

Turtle clutches are devastated by foxes, raccoon dogs, otters and crows. In the Central Black Earth region of Russia, this species has become rare. The reasons for the decline in numbers are associated with the destruction of clutches and the destruction of habitats suitable for laying eggs.

The bog turtle is listed in the Red Books of Belarus, Lithuania and Latvia, protected in many European countries, included in the International Red List (IUCN).

Literature.

Anan'eva et al., 1998; Ataev, 1985; Bannikov, 1951; Bannikov et al., 1977; Guskov et al., 1983; Kireev, 1983; Lukina, 1971; Nikolsky, 1905, 1915; Severtsov, 1855 (quoted from: Severtsov, 1950); Terentiev and Chernov, 1936; 1949; Tertyshnikov, 2002; Tertyshnikov and Vysotin, 1987; Shammakov, 1981; Shcherbak, 1966; Shcherbak, Shcherban, 1980; Bozhansky and Orlova, 1998; Boulenger, 1889; Eichwald, 1831; Fritz, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2003 (detailed bibliography here); Guldenstadt, 1783; Kuzmin, 2002; Mazanaeva and Orlova, 2002; Schneider, 1783.

According to experts, the Mediterranean tortoise (Testudo graeca) is the most vulnerable of the tortoises inhabiting the territory of the Russian Federation. The Mediterranean tortoise is common in northern Africa, southern Europe, southwestern Asia and the Caucasus. The species is listed in the International Red Book, the Red Book of the Russian Federation as a species with a steadily declining population, some populations of which are on the verge of extinction, and in the Red Book of the Krasnodar Territory. By the way, only in the territory of the Krasnodar Territory and Abkhazia lives a special subspecies - the Mediterranean tortoise Nikolsky, named after the famous Russian herpetologist. The state of this particular subspecies is of the greatest concern to specialists. Once united - from Anapa to Pitsunda - the habitat of turtles is now fragmented and continues to decline. The largest territorial group still lives on the Black Sea coast from Anapa to Tuapse. It is here that the greatest anthropogenic load is observed.

Turtles living in the western Caucasus within the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Abkhazia have been identified as an independent subspecies T. graeca nikolskii. The subspecies T. graeca pallasi lives on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan (Northern Caucasus).

The main reasons for the reduction in the number, reduction and fragmentation of the range of the Mediterranean tortoise are anthropogenic transformation and destruction of its habitats and illegal catching of turtles for the purpose of selling for keeping at home. The reasons for the reduction in the range and abundance of this species are the destruction and degradation of habitats as a result of development, the expansion of agricultural land and intensive recreational use of the territory, the death of turtles during forest fires.

Tourists often buy turtles from local residents who earn extra money by illegally trapping and selling these animals, and take them away as living souvenirs. According to leading experts, the Mediterranean tortoise is one of the most endangered reptile species in the Russian Federation, and there is a real threat of its extinction. The degree of knowledge of the current state of the species is insufficient to organize effective measures for its protection.

Project "Attention, turtle!" is aimed at studying and protecting the Mediterranean tortoise in the Caucasus. From 2009 to 2012, the project was implemented by NABU-Caucasus jointly with the Society for the Protection of Amphibians and Reptiles under the NROO Ecological Center "Dront" (Kazakhstan). Nizhny Novgorod) supported by the German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) and International Foundation Animal Welfare (IFAW).

The goal of the project is to create conditions and for the conservation of population and subspecies biodiversity of the Mediterranean tortoise in the Caucasus.

The main tasks of the project:

1. assessment of the current distribution, condition and number of populations of the Nikolsky Mediterranean tortoise on the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia, identification of key habitats of the subspecies and assessment of the degree of provision of their territorial protection, assessment of the influence of the main limiting factors;
2. organization of interaction with the official environmental structures of the Krasnodar Territory in order to prevent illegal traffic turtles and the conservation of key habitats for this species;
3. return to natural habitats of turtles seized from illegal circulation or voluntarily transferred to us;
4. creating conditions for a wide public support goals and objectives of the project by raising public awareness of turtle conservation issues;
5. development of specific recommendations for the conservation of the Mediterranean tortoise and their submission to official nature protection structures, if necessary, the design and lobbying for the creation of new protected areas in key habitats of this species;
6. continuation of work on the creation of the first nursery in the Russian Federation for keeping and breeding Mediterranean tortoises in semi-free conditions with the aim of subsequent reintroduction of reared young animals into natural habitats on the basis of the Safari Park (Gelendzhik).

As part of the project, new data were obtained on the distribution and population status of the Nikolsky Mediterranean tortoise in the Western Caucasus, in particular in the north and south of its range. For example, for the first time in the last 30 years, the existence of a viable population of turtles on the territory of the Pitsunda-Myusser Upland in the Republic of Abkhazia has been confirmed.

With colleagues from Sukhumi state university and the State Ecological Service of the Republic of Abkhazia, proposals were prepared to include the identified key habitats of the Mediterranean tortoise in the Pitsunda-Myussersky Reserve by expanding its territory. Interaction was established with the Office of Rosprirodnadzor for the Krasnodar Territory to suppress the illegal trade in Mediterranean tortoises.

In order to reduce consumer demand for turtles and create broad public support for the goals and objectives of our project, we are actively working with the media: over 4 years, with our participation, dozens of publications in newspapers, magazines and on the Internet, television and radio stories dedicated to turtles and project. Thousands of pocket calendars and posters featuring original photographs of the turtles were printed and distributed free of charge. Prepared and a number of scientific articles on state of the art T. graeca.

The European marsh turtle (lat. Emys orbicularis) is a very common species of aquatic turtle, which is often kept at home. They live throughout Europe, as well as in the Middle East and even in North Africa.

We will tell you about its habitat in nature, the maintenance and care of the marsh turtle at home.

Habitat in nature

As already mentioned, the European marsh turtle lives in a wide range, covering not only Europe, but also Africa and Asia. Accordingly, it is not listed in the Red Book.

She lives in various reservoirs: ponds, canals, swamps, streams, rivers, even large puddles. Bog turtles live in the water, but they love to bask very much and get out on stones, snags, various garbage to lie under the sun.

Even on cool and overcast days, they attempt to bask in the sun that breaks through the clouds. Like most aquatic turtles in nature, marsh turtles instantly flop into the water at the sight of a person or animal.

Their powerful paws with long claws allow them to swim through thickets with ease and even burrow into muddy ground or under leaf layers. They love aquatic vegetation and hide in it at the slightest opportunity.

Description

European marsh turtle oval or rounded carapace, smooth, usually black or yellow-green. It is dotted with many small yellow or white spots, sometimes forming rays or lines.

The carapace is smooth when wet and glistens in the sun, becoming more opaque as it dries. The head is large, slightly pointed, without a beak. The skin on the head is dark, often black, with small patches of yellow or white color. Paws are dark, also with light spots on them.

Emys orbicularis has several subspecies that differ in coloration, size, or detail, but most often in range. For example, the Sicilian marsh turtle (Emys (orbicularis) trinacris) with a catchy yellow-green carapace and the same skin color. And Emys orbicularis orbicularis living in Russia and Ukraine is almost completely black.

Adult marsh turtles reach a carapace size of up to 35 cm and a weight of up to 1.5 kg. Although, when kept at home, they are usually smaller, despite the fact that the subspecies living in Russia is one of the largest.

The European marsh turtle is very similar to the American marsh turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), appearance and habits. They were even assigned to the genus Emys for a long time. However, further study led to the fact that these two species were divided according to differences in the structure of the internal skeleton.

There is no consensus on how long the marsh turtle lives. But, the fact that she is a long-liver, everyone agrees. According to various opinions, life expectancy ranges from 30 to 100.

Availability

The bog turtle can be found commercially or caught in the wild during the warmer months. But, with normal maintenance, owners with zero experience in breeding turtles, offspring are successfully obtained. All individuals kept in captivity are unpretentious and easy to care for.

However, it is important to note that in order to keep a bog turtle, you need to create fairly accurate conditions. And just to bring and put her in a basin will not work. If you caught a turtle in nature, and you only need it for fun, then leave it where you took it. Believe me, this way you will simplify your life and not destroy the animal.

Young bog turtles should be kept indoors, while older ones can be released into home ponds for the summer. For 1-2 turtles, an aquaterrarium with a volume of 100 liters or more is needed, and as they grow, twice as much. For a couple of turtles, you need a 150 x 60 x 50 aquarium, plus land for heating. Since they spend a lot of time in water, the larger the volume, the better.

However, it is important to keep the water clean and change it regularly, plus use a powerful filter. While eating, turtles litter a lot, and there is a lot of waste from it.

All this instantly spoils the water, and dirty water leads to various diseases in aquatic turtles, from bacterial eye diseases to sepsis. To reduce pollution during feeding, the turtle can be planted in a separate container.

Decor and soil can be omitted, since the turtle does not particularly need it, and it is much more difficult to clean up with it in the aquarium.

Approximately ⅓ in the aquarium should be land, to which the turtle must have access. They regularly come out on land to bask, and so that they can do this without access to the sun, a heating lamp is placed above the land.

Heating

Natural sunlight is best, and small turtles should be exposed to sunlight during the summer months. However, this is not always possible and an analogue of sunlight must be created artificially.

To do this, in the aquaterrarium, above the land, they place an incandescent lamp and a special lamp with UV rays. UV lamp for reptiles (10% UVB). Moreover, the height must be at least 20 cm so that the animal does not get burned. The temperature on land, under the lamp should be 30-32C, and the length of the daylight hours should be at least 12 hours.

In nature, they hibernate, hibernate, but in captivity they do not do this and you do not need to force them! Home conditions quite allow her to be active throughout the year, this is not winter when there is nothing to eat.

Feeding

What to feed a marsh turtle? The main thing is not what, but how. While feeding, bog turtles are very aggressive!

It feeds on fish, shrimps, beef heart, liver, chicken heart, frogs, worms, crickets, mice, artificial food, snails. The best food is fish, for example, you can run live fish, guppies directly into the aquarium. Juveniles are fed every day, and adult turtles are fed every two to three days. They are very hungry for food and overeat easily.

For normal development, turtles need vitamins and calcium. Usually artificial foods contain everything a turtle needs, so adding food from a pet store to the diet is not superfluous. And yes, they need sunlight to absorb calcium and produce vitamin B3. So do not forget about special lamps and heating.

Appeal

Very smart, they quickly understand that the owner feeds them and will rush to you in the hope of feeding. However, at this moment they are aggressive and you need to be careful. Like all turtles, they are treacherous and can bite, and quite painfully.

They need to be handled with care and generally touched less often. It is better not to give to children, as they carry each other a mutual danger.

Serpent "population" North Caucasus quite varied. Both poisonous and harmless, both water and land snakes are found in the region. You can meet them anywhere - from city lawns and reservoirs to mountain slopes. Major Representatives squamous orders, of course, avoid life in settlements, but they may well live in fields along roads. The nature of local snakes, as noted by serpentologists, is rather phlegmatic - they will not rush at a person because of instincts or sudden aggression. But, of course, there is always a risk.

The most common snakes that live in the North Caucasus are in our selection.

Vipers

The viper family is the most numerous in the snake estate of the North Caucasus. These snakes are poisonous, and even newborn individuals have poison. The viper looks unremarkable: gray or brown color, pattern on the head, body length - up to 75 centimeters. Among vipers, serpentologists distinguish several main species.

The viper is real. The poison of this snake is considered the most toxic. When bitten by a viper, a person immediately feels a sharp pain, which intensifies when swelling appears at the site of the bite. After a couple of hours, inflammation of the vessels begins, after a couple of days, hemorrhagic blisters appear. If you do not turn to the doctors, you can die from the bite of a real viper.

discover poisonous snake can be in rotten stumps, animal burrows and even bushes. Any flick, scientists believe, can be regarded by the snake as a provocation. Therefore, when meeting with a viper, in no case do not panic and do not make sudden movements.

Common viper. It can be recognized by its flat head, which differs in size from the thickness of the body. Most individuals have a zigzag pattern along the spine. The bite of a common viper is rarely fatal, however, it is dangerous to humans. Medicine knows cases when those bitten did not feel any symptoms at all, but more often snake “victims” experienced nausea, vomiting and dizziness, convulsions and even loss of consciousness.

The common viper loves cool temperatures and mountainous terrain, so the chance of finding it in the settlements of the Stavropol Territory is small.

Steppe viper. The snake is brown in color with a dark pattern on the head. This type of viper is known for its slowness - on land they do not move as fast as their brothers in the family. But in the waters steppe vipers show themselves as excellent swimmers, and can also climb the branches of shrubs and trees. The steppe viper is especially common in Kalmykia.

Viper Dinnik. The species of vipers, named after the Russian zoologist, is traditionally colored more elegantly than its relatives in the family: a lemon-black pattern cuts through the gray-green back. But the bite of this viper differs little from that practiced by relatives - the danger is the same. A person will urgently need a doctor, but a pet after such an attack is unlikely to be saved.
Dinnik's viper is common in the Stavropol and neighboring Krasnodar Territories. An attractive landscape for the asp is subalpine meadows or forests. This viper does not like heat, so the risk of meeting it in the open sun is minimized.