Greek Meadow Viper — Fact Sheet
Vipera graeca · Greek Meadow Viper
📋 At a glance
| Adult size | 30-45 cm |
| Lifespan | Insufficient species-specific data |
| Subspecies | Retain locality and parentage |
| Origin | See the locality-specific map and climate in the full guide |
| Activity | Cathemeral |
| Difficulty | Expert |
| Legal | CITES Appendix I and EU Annex A coverage follows the European Vipera ursinii entry under the historical name V. ursinii graeca. The former-USSR exclusion does not cover Greece or Albania. Bern Appendix II and the EU Habitats Directive’s historical ursinii protection also require attention. A modern species name is not a trade exemption; confirm the paperwork under both names. |
🏠 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: 28-30 °C
- Warm zone: 20-24 °C
- Cool zone: 17-21 °C
- Night: 15-19 °C
🪳 Feeding
Primary field research identifies an Orthoptera specialist: do not substitute a routine mouse diet. Obtain a demonstrated feeding record and reliable, lawful supplies of captive-bred locusts or other accepted orthopterans before acquisition. Offer appropriately small, well-fed insects in modest meals; agree frequency, calcium and vitamins with the collection veterinarian because no validated species schedule or dose was found. Check juvenile growth and remove uneaten insects through the protected system. Wild grasshoppers bring pesticide, parasite and conservation risks.
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.