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Gloydius caucasicus, the Caucasian pit viper, is a species of venomous snake in the genus Gloydius found in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Afghanistan. [1]
Montivipera raddei, also known as the Armenian viper [4] and by many other common names, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the Zagros Mountains, which stretch across Kurdistan in Iran, Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. Two subspecies are currently recognized. [3]
Vipera lotievi, commonly known as the Caucasian meadow viper [3] and Lotiev's viper, [4] is a species of venomous snake in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia. There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid. [5]
The evolutionary history of venomous snakes can be traced back to as far as 28 million years ago. [1] Snake venom is modified saliva used for prey immobilization and self-defense and is usually delivered through highly specialized teeth, hollow fangs, directly into the bloodstream or tissue of the target.
Due to the strong morphological similarity, these snakes were classified in the genus Agkistrodon until very recently. However, by 1999 cladistic studies clearly showed that Agkistrodon did not form a clade (indeed, it was not even paraphyletic ) and was thus split into several genera .
A study reported 53,787 cases of bites by venomous snakes between 2002 and 2011 in Iran, with the highest rate of snakebite incidents being found in provinces in the south and southwest of Iran. [33] Out of the 53,787 cases of snake bites which were reported to medical centers in Iran, only 118 were correctly identified as bites by this species.
The common death adder (Acanthophis antarcticus) is a highly venomous snake species with a 50–60% untreated mortality rate. [87] It is also the fastest striking venomous snake in the world. [88] A death adder can go from a strike position, to strike and envenoming their prey, and back to strike position again, in less than 0.15 seconds. [88]
These snakes are large enough to defend their territory from intruders, including humans. [15] The black mamba, in particular, is among the most venomous snakes in the world and one of the most aggressive. It is the longest venomous snake on the continent and is able to move at 11 kilometres per hour (6.8 mph), making it unusually dangerous. [23]