Reptiles
Nose-horned Viper
Vipera ammodytes · Vipera cu corn
A venomous viper of warm, rocky slopes, recognisable by the small horn on its snout. Protected in Romania.
At a glance
- Habitat
- Mountain / Meadow
- Activity
- Daytime
- Diet
- Small mammals, lizards and birds.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Difficult
Identification
Grey to brownish with a dark zig-zag stripe along the back and a soft horn on the tip of the snout.
Habitat
Sunny, rocky slopes, screes and dry hillsides with shrubs.
Distribution
South-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. In Romania mainly in the south-west.
Approximate range in Romania
When it is active
Daytime
Diet
Small mammals, lizards and birds.
Behaviour
Usually calm and retreats when disturbed. Hibernates in winter.
Seasonality in Romania
Photography
General guidance based on the species’ behaviour, not a report of Nick’s personal field experience.
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Ethics
- Venomous: keep a safe distance, never handle or provoke it, and never move rocks to find it.
Practical starting points, not fixed rules.