Vipers are looking for places to stay until at least mid-March or early April, noticed naturalists in the Subcarpathian region, mainly in Bieszczady and Low Beskid, as well as Dynowskie and Przemyskie highlands.

In winter hideouts vipers often hibernate together with other species of reptiles, for example lizards and grass snakes. Interestingly, in the late summer and fall some of them are the main component of vipers’ diet, for example viviparous lizards and sand lizards - said Marek Holly, naturalist from the Bieszczady National Park.

Vipers pay attention to the location of their wintering grounds. "The burrows have to be located away from periodically flooded areas, stream and riverbeds. Flooding in hibernation period is dangerous for them, they may die" - he said.

Males wake up at the end of March, females come to the surface in April. They leave the place of winter rest after a few days of clear warming.

European viper, next to grass snake, is among the most common snakes in Bieszczady. Vipers live on the southern slopes of the hills, scarcely overgrown with bushes, at the edge of forests and near forest roads, on the sunny banks of rivers and streams and on screes, up to the zone of pastures. "They live in places where summer temperature conditions allow to actively hunt and they can find shelter" - said the naturalist.

There are three colour varieties of vipers: bronze, silver and black. All have bright red iris, with a narrow, vertical pupil. Distinctive traits include a zigzag dorsal pattern and a mark resembling an "x" on a triangular head, a clear narrowing neck, stocky midbody and a short tail. They are very useful reptiles; in the course of their lifetime they kill a huge number of rodents.

In Poland, due to decreasing numbers they are strictly protected. A person bitten by a viper requires immediate medical attention. (PAP)

kyc/ mow/ krf/

tr. RL