Macrovipera lebetinus turanica explained

Common names: Turan blunt-nosed viper.[1]

Macrovipera lebetinus turanica is a venomous viper subspecies endemic to Asia.[2]

Description

The dorsal color pattern consists of a dark ground color with a lighter, orange zigzag pattern. The supraoculars are usually semidivided.[2]

Geographic range

It is found in eastern Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, southwestern Kazakhstan, and parts of northern Afghanistan and western Pakistan.[2]

Venom

Not much is known about its venom but it contains procoagulants (fibrinogenases) and likely contains myotoxins. It's also possible that it contains hemorrhagins and cytotoxins. The average venom yield per bite is somewhere between 31–63 mg (dry weight). It has been known to have caused death in adult humans, and although the envenoming rate is unknown, it is suspected to be high. Symptoms of envenomation include variable non-specific effects which may include headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, collapse, or convulsions. There are also marked local effects including pain, severe swelling, bruising, blistering, and moderate to severe necrosis. Other effects include moderate to severe coagulopathy and hemorrhagins causing extensive bleeding.[3]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Mehrtens JM. 1987. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. .
  2. Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. .
  3. Web site: Macrovipera lebetina. Clinical Toxinology Resource. University of Adelaide. 9 April 2012.