Armenian Viper — Fact Sheet

Montivipera raddei · Armenian Viper

Full care guide

These are provisional active-season care targets, not measured tolerance limits. Read the full guide for the evidence, population scope and winter-cooling restrictions.

📋 Quick reference

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

150 × 75 × 75 cm for one adult; increase for a large individual. Use locked shift compartments, secondary containment and no direct handling. Humidity: 45-65%, with ventilation, dry resting ground and a locally moist retreat.

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 27-30 °C
• Warm zone: 20-25 °C
• Cool zone: 18-22 °C
• Night: 17-20 °C

🐁 Feeding

Thawed whole mice; adults approximately every 14-21 days, juveniles smaller meals often every 7-10 days. Adjust to body condition. No routine supplements or live rodents.

⚖️ Legal status

No CITES listing was found for M. raddei. Crucially, the EU lists Vipera latifii in Annex A, even though the taxonomy followed here places latifii within raddei. Nominal raddei has no specific entry in the reviewed EU annexes. Keep the legal identity of latifii on its paperwork and obtain authority advice before any commercial transaction. Bern Appendix III’s general reptile provision applies where relevant.

☠️ Venom

Medically significant venom. A bite needs immediate emergency care even if symptoms seem mild. Keep the patient still, remove tight items and follow poison-centre advice; do not cut, suck, ice or tourniquet the wound.

🩺 Common problems

• Overheating: repeated attempts to leave the warm area or abnormal exposed resting warrant an immediate check of the cool retreat and room temperature.
• Respiratory infection: bubbles, wheezing or open-mouth breathing require prompt reptile-veterinary assessment.
• Dysecdysis and dehydration: review drinking access and the moist retreat; never attempt manual skin removal.
• Dermatitis: wet bedding and dirty retreats can damage ventral scales.
• Obesity, regurgitation and parasites: track body condition and meal history; persistent change needs diagnosis, not a larger meal or automatic deworming.