Description
This is a large snake, with females reaching 214 cm in length and males growing to a similar size. However, sizes vary between different populations, with M. l. lebetina being somewhat smaller.[2]
The head is broad, triangular and distinct from the neck. The snout is rounded and blunt when viewed from above, which is why it is also called the blunt-nosed viper. The nasal and nasorostral scales are almost completely fused into a single plate, although some variation occurs.[2]
The dorsal scales are strongly keeled, except for those bordering the ventrals. M. l. lebetina usually has 146-163 ventral scales. The anal scale is single.[2]
The color pattern is less varied than one might expect from a species that is so widely distributed. The head is normally uniformly colored, although it can occasionally be marked with a dark V-shape. Dorsally, the ground color for the body can be gray, brown, beige, pinkish, olive or khaki. The pattern, if present, is darker, can be gray, bluish, rust or brown in color, and may consist of a middorsal row or double row of large spots. When two rows are present, the spots may alternate or oppose, which can produce anything from a saddled to a continuous zigzag pattern. The spots are usually brown, dark gray or black, but are sometimes red, brick, yellow or olive in color.[2]Females are usually 3 and a half feet long, while males are 5 feet long.
[edit] Common names
Blunt-nosed viper, Lebetine viper, Levant viper,[2] Levantine viper,[4], Levantine adder,[5] Kufi or Kufi viper (from Arabic), Gjursa (Russian),[2] coffin snake, Levante viper, mountain viper.[6], Gunas (from KashmiriLebetine vipers are endangered, and nothing is being done to keep their existence remaining.
[edit] Geographic range
Dagestan, Algeria, Tunisia, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Russian Caucasia, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhistan, Tadzikhistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir. At one point there was also a report of this species from Yemen by Scortecci (1929). The type locality originally given was "Oriente." Mertens and Müller (1928) suggested restricting the range to "Cypern" (Cyprus).[1]
