Anatolian Meadow Viper — Fact Sheet
Vipera anatolica · Anatolian Meadow Viper
📋 At a glance
| Adult size | 30-45 cm |
| Lifespan | Insufficient species-specific data |
| Subspecies | anatolica / senliki; diet and locality matter |
| Origin | See the locality-specific map and climate in the full guide |
| Activity | Cathemeral |
| Difficulty | Expert |
| Legal | No separate CITES or EU wildlife-trade entry was found. The historical V. ursinii Appendix I/Annex A entry is limited to European populations outside the former USSR; southwestern Anatolia is outside that geographical clause. Bern Appendix II lists ursinii, so historical taxonomic coverage for anatolica must be resolved with authorities; this uncertainty must not be treated as an exemption. |
🏠 Enclosure
One adult: 90 × 50 × 50 cm as a practical starting enclosure, enlarged for the actual animal. Relative humidity 45–65%, with fresh water, local moisture and dry resting areas. Locked enclosure and room, a secure isolation compartment, protected servicing and separate quarantine for at least 90 days.
🌡️ Temperature
Provisional active-season targets, not proven optima or safety limits. Outdoor climate averages are not enclosure settings; seasonal changes require the documented origin and veterinary review.
- Basking spot: 27-29 °C
- Warm zone: 20-24 °C
- Cool zone: 17-21 °C
- Night: 15-19 °C
🪳 Feeding
The original senliki study found centipedes and millipedes as principal prey, with other invertebrate remains; some small remains may represent prey eaten by those invertebrates. This is not proof that a cricket-only or mouse-only diet is adequate. Acquisition requires a demonstrated, sustainable captive diet and a veterinarian’s nutrition plan, including calcium and vitamins for invertebrate feeding. Do not collect wild centipedes or introduce injurious live prey as an experiment. No defensible universal meal interval is given; record acceptance, body condition and juvenile growth.
For accepted feeder insects, use prey no broader than the snake’s body and maintain well-fed feeder cultures before offering them. Agree a calcium-without-D3 plan when measured UVB is provided; oral D3 and multivitamins, including vitamin A, must account for UVB exposure, juvenile growth, reproduction and product-label limits. Avoid overlapping supplements or guessing a species dose. Keep food off loose substrate: swallowed particles, dehydration and low temperature increase impaction risk. Never force-feed a venomous snake at home.
🩺 Health — warning signs
Persistent exposed resting or attempts to escape the warm zone warrant an immediate temperature check. Wheezing, bubbles or open-mouth breathing suggest respiratory disease; abnormal belly scales may indicate dermatitis. Repeated poor sheds, regurgitation, weight loss or abnormal faeces require a reptile veterinarian to distinguish dehydration, dietary problems, parasites and other illness. Do not deworm or restrain a venomous snake yourself; arrange secure professional transport.
☠️ Venom
Bite severity varies; a small wound or an apparently dry bite does not exclude delayed envenoming.
Species-specific human bite evidence is limited. An invertebrate-rich diet does not make venom harmless to people. Treat every bite as an emergency: painful swelling and systemic illness are possible, and severity cannot be predicted from size. European-viper antivenom must not be presumed effective for this exact taxon without poison-centre assessment.
Call emergency services immediately, keep the person still, remove rings and tight items, and support the limb without compression. Do not cut, suck, apply ice or a tourniquet, or delay transport to capture the snake. Establish receiving-hospital and poison-centre arrangements before acquisition. Antivenom selection and administration belong to clinicians.