While visiting the St. Louis Zoo on a family vacation, I noticed three snake species in the Zoo's Herpetarium that were particularly relevant to my interests. They were as follows:
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| The Armenian Viper |
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| Information about the Armenian Viper |
The Armenian Viper is, according to the St. Louis Zoo website, a venomous snake native to Armenia and its surrounding areas. They are found in mountainous areas, where they feed on insects, rodents, and lizards. They share dens with other vipers in the winter where they hibernate during the cold months. An interesting fact about these vipers that the Zoo's website relates is that they give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. (1)
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| Iranian Mountain Viper |
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| Information on the Iranian Mountain Viper |
According to the St. Louis Zoo's information card, the Iranian Mountain Viper is found only in Zanjan Mountain range, near the Caspian Sea, at elevations of 8,000 feet. The Viper is vulernable due to over-collection for antivenom production. (2)
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| The Caucasus Viper |
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Information on the Caucasus Viper
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The Caucasus Viper, according to the St. Louis Zoo website, is a vulnerable species of viper found in the mountainous areas of Turkey and Russia. Because of political unrest, over-collection, and habitat destruction, conservation efforts for the snake have been frustrated in this area of the world. Little is known about this snake due to the harsh climate that it inhabits. (3)
These are but a few of the many Eurasian species present at the zoo. I would encourage all my readers to visit the St. Louis Zoo's
Center for Conservation in Western Asia website and check out their efforts to save various Central Eurasian species from the brink of extinction.
2. St. Louis Zoo information card. St. Louis Zoo Herpetarium.
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