Common names: (none).
Macrovipera lebetinus transmediterranea is a viper subspecies endemic to North Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
Description This subspecies is not known to exceed in total length (body + tail). It is further distinguished by having only 25 midbody dorsal scale rows, a lower ventral scale count of 150-164 scales, and more fragmented head scales. The color pattern is light gray with 34-41 dark transverse bars which are each 2-3 scales wide.Spawls S, Branch B. 1995. The Dangerous Snakes of Africa. Dubai: Ralph Curtis Books. Oriental Press. 192 pp. .
Geographic range It is found only in North Africa, where it is restricted to the coastal mountains of Algeria and Tunis.Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . One of the few specific localities where it is known to occur is Djebel Murdjaro near Oran in western Algeria. This subspecies may be sympatric with M. deserti and/or D. mauritanica.
References
Further reading Nilson G, Andrén C. 1988. Vipera lebetina transmediterranea, a new subspecies of viper from North Africa, with remarks on the taxonomy of Vipera lebetina and Vipera mauritanica (Reptilia: Viperidae). Bonn zool. Beitr. 39 (4): 371-379.
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