Vipera albizona
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The Anatolian Viper (Vipera albizona) is a species of venomous viper native only to the mountainous regions of central Turkey. It was only recently described to science, so is often referred to by various common names, such as Turkish Viper, Montane Viper or Turkish Mountain Viper, all of which can sometimes also refer to other species, and can lead to confusion. Some researchers believe V. albizona may actually be a locality variation of V. wagneri or V. xanthina, but the research to establish it definatively has not been done.
Conservation status
Due to the species small natural range, and perceived overcollection by herpetological enthusiasts, V. albizona is listed as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List.In captivity
Despite its rarity, many specimens of V. albizona have been collected from the wild and made their way into the captive exotic animal trade. Primarily in Europe, but a small number have found their way to private collections in the United States. The species is not well represented in zoos.References
- Species [Vipera albizona] at the [EMBL Reptile Database]
- [IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Vipera albizona]
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