Ecology and conservation of the Meadow viper, Vipera ursinii, in three protected mountainous areas in central Italy

Abstract

The populations of Meadow Viper (Vipera ursinii) living in three protected areas of central Italy (Duchessa Mountains Natural Park, Majella National Park, and Gran Sasso National Park) were studied from 1998 to 2003. In these areas the vipers were not ho‐mogenously distributed over the whole territory, but occurred just at a few places. Males were significantly smaller than females at each study area, and in each year of study. However, the mean size of both males and females did not differ significantly among study areas and across study years. In all study areas, the diet was based mainly on Orthoptera, while other prey categories (other arthropods, lizards and small rodents) were negligible. There was no apparent difference in the diet composition of the three studied viper populations. In all three study areas, meadow vipers experience similar threats, i.e., a reduction of microhabitat (caused, however, by different site‐specific reasons outlined below), and mortality due to intentional killing. However, there were also remarkable differences among study areas, which must be taken into consideration for any serious conservation strategy on this threatened species.