Nose-Horned Viper

The Nose-Horned Viper is a viper found across southern Europe, the Balkans, and parts of Anatolia and the Middle East. It is easily recognized by a small, soft, scaled horn projecting from the tip of its snout, a feature unique among European vipers.

It is widely regarded as the most dangerous viper species in Europe due to relatively long fangs and potent venom, though fatalities are rare where medical care is accessible.

• Small, soft nasal horn or protuberance at the tip of the snout, a diagnostic feature
• Stout body with strongly keeled scales
• Gray, brown, or reddish background color with a dark zigzag or wavy dorsal stripe
• Broad triangular head distinct from the neck
• Vertical elliptical pupils
• Adults typically 0.5-0.9 m, occasionally larger

Inhabits rocky hillsides, dry scrubland, open woodland edges, and stony pastures from sea level to moderate mountain elevations across the Balkans, Italy, and into Anatolia, the Caucasus, and the Levant.

Primarily diurnal in cooler months, shifting to crepuscular activity in summer heat. Feeds on small mammals, lizards, and occasionally birds, using an ambush strategy. Reproduction is viviparous, with females giving birth to litters typically of 5-20 young.