Head to head
Asp Viper vs European Adder
Asp Viper
VS European Adder
The asp viper and European adder are two small venomous vipers in the genus Vipera that both give birth to live young and are sometimes confused in places where they overlap.
| Asp Viper | European Adder | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Vipera aspis | Vipera berus |
| Appearance | A slightly upturned snout, and a colour that varies from grey to brown to reddish, usually with dark crossbars or a zigzag | A continuous dark zigzag stripe along the back, grey in males and brown or coppery in females, and sometimes entirely black |
| Habitat | Sunny, rocky slopes, scrub, and forest edges | Heathland, moorland, woodland edges, bogs, coastal dunes, and mountains up to around 3,000 m |
| Range | France, Italy, Switzerland, northern Spain, and parts of Germany | Across Europe and northern Asia from Britain and northern Iberia to the Pacific coast, and the only snake living inside the Arctic Circle |
| Diet | Small mammals such as mice and voles and lizards, while the young also eat insects | Voles, mice, shrews, lizards, frogs, newts, and the nestlings and eggs of ground-nesting birds |
| Young | Gives birth to live young, usually in late summer | Gives birth to 3 to 20 live young in late summer, and breeds only every second or third year |
| Danger | Its venom is dangerous to people and bites need medical treatment, though deaths are rare | Its bite is rarely dangerous to a healthy adult, and there has been no confirmed death in Britain since 1975 |
| Conservation status | Least Concern, though some local populations are declining | Least Concern |
Asp Viper vs European Adder: common questions
How can you tell an asp viper from an adder?
The asp viper has a slightly upturned snout and a more variable pattern, while the adder has a continuous dark zigzag stripe along its back.
Which snake lives inside the Arctic Circle?
The European adder, which has the widest range of any snake and is the only one that lives inside the Arctic Circle.
Do both lay eggs?
No, both give birth to live young in late summer.