THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF POISONOUS SNAKES 29 
the vertex; black streak behind the eyes; ventral surface grey, 
spotted with black and white; tip of the tail usually yellow or 
with yellow spots. 
Total length, 550—610 millimetres ; tail 80—85. 
Habitat: Spain and Portugal. 
Vipera ammodytes. 
(Fig. 21, 3 and 4). 
Snout terminated in front by a horny appendage covered with 
10—20 small scales; vertical diameter of the eyes less than the 
distance separating them from the mouth; upper surface of the 
head covered with small, smooth, or feebly keeled scales, among 
which an enlarged frontal and a pair of parietal shields are some- 
times distinguishable; 5—7 longitudinal series of scales between 
the supraoculars ; 10—13 scales round the eyes; two series between 
the eyes and the labials; nasal shield entire, separated from the 
rostral by a naso-rostral. Body scales in 21—23 rows, strongly 
keeled ; 133—162 ventrals ; 24—38 subcaudals. 
Coloration grey, brown, or reddish above, with a zigzag dorsal 
band, usually spotted with white; black streak behind the eyes; 
belly grey or violaceous; end of the tail yellow, orange, or coral-red. 
Total length, 550—640 millimetres ; tail 70—80. 
Habitat : Southern Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, Hungary, Danubian 
principalities and kingdoms, Turkey. Does not pass beyond the 
48th parallel of North Latitude. 
This viper loves very sunny places, and hillsides planted with 
vines. It rarely hibernates. 
In districts in which it is plentiful, it 1s only necessary to light 
a fire at night in order to attract this species in swarms ; this is 
the best method of taking it. 
Its food consists of small rodents, lizards, and birds. 
