﻿VIPERA 249 



spots. Head with or without dark markings above, 

 sometimes with two obhque dark streaks on the 

 occiput ; a dark streak from behind the eye to the first 

 lateral spot, sometimes originating at a considerable 

 distance from the eye ; upper lip white or pale 

 brown, more or less speckled or spotted with black. 

 Lower parts grey, spotted with black and white, or 

 blackish speckled with white, the end of the tail 

 usually yellow or with yellow spots. 



Size. — This Viper is not known to exceed a length 

 of 2 feet. 



Distribution. — Locally distributed over the greater 

 part of Spain and Portugal, as far north as Burgos 

 and Barcelona. Also found in Morocco near Tangier, 

 and in Algeria near Bona and Guyotville. 



Habits. — Lataste's Viper lives in stony and arid 

 districts, and also in forests. The food consists 

 chiefly of small mammals, but remains of a scorpion 

 have been found in the stomach of an adult, and of a 

 centipede in that of a young. According to Graells, 

 this Viper easily climbs low trees in search of young 

 birds, five of which have been found in the stomach 

 of one specimen. The bite is believed to be less 

 dangerous than that of V. aspis, and rarely causes 

 the death of man and domestic animals. 



26. ViPERA AMMODYTES, Linnaeus 

 The Sand-Viper, or Long-Nosed Viper 



This species may be divided into several geographi- 

 cal forms. The typical form will be described first. 



