THE NATIONAL RED LIST OF NORTH MACEDONIA

Meadow Viper

Vipera ursinii

Macedonian

Остроглава шарка

Albanian

Neperka e vogel e malit

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Not evaluated Data deficient Least concern Near threatened Vulnerable ENDANGERED Critically endangered Extinct in the wild Extinct
NE DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX
Taxonomy
Assessment info
Population
Habitat and Ecology
Threats
Use and Trade
Conservation Actions
Bibliography

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Vipera ursinii

Authority

(Bonaparte, 1835)

Synonyms

Pelias ursinii (Bonaparte, 1835)

Assessment info

IUCN Red List Category and Criteria

EN – Endangered, B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)

Date assessed

November 2019

Assessors

Sterijovski, B.

Arsovski, D.

Reviewers

Tomović, L.

Contributors

/

Facilitators

Hofman, M.P.G.

Justification

The species only occurs in two locations across the country (Shara-Korab Massif and Bistra Mt.), and the high-mountain habitats it inhabits face serious observed threats (afforestation-especially by beech and juniper forest, habitat destruction, persecution by humans and global warming). Observed threats along with limited area of occupancy (AOO; 168km2) and extent of occurrence (EOO; 1.044km2) suggest the Endangered category. Finally, all Meadow viper populations in the southern Balkans are confined to high-mountain pastures (Jelić et al. 2013), making rescue effects from neighboring countries impossible, without human organized reintroduction programs, thus a category downlisting is not recommended. Globally and in Europe, this species has been assessed as Vulnerable.

Population

Current population trend

Decreasing

Description

Population status is unknown in the country. Nevertheless, present threats suggest a decreasing trend. The high-mountain habitat preferences of national population have made them severely fragmented.

Habitat and Ecology

System

Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology

Grassy and/or rocky karstic slopes with patches of Juniperus and Vaccinium spp. (Speybroeck et al. 2016). The main diet are Ortopterans. Mating occurs in May or June and by August females give birth to 3 to 6 young (Tomović et al. 2004).

Use and trade

Use and trade

Hobbyists often seek out individuals from Balkan populations of this species.

Threats

Threats

Overgrowth of high-mountain pastures (because of abandonment of traditional grazing practices) is a threat to the species. Construction of ski-runs and roads are also significant threats. Meadow vipers may also be affected by global climate change, in particular because of the impact of temperature change on its prey populations of orthopterans, which are additionally highly sensitive to pollution (Joger et al. 2009).
All threats listed for this species are included in the “List of priority threats to biological diversity” in the “Strategy for biodiversity of Republic of North Macedonia” (Ministry of environment and physical planning, 2018).

Conservation actions

Conservation actions

It is listed on Annex II of the Bern Convention and on Annex II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive. On a national level it is on the list of strictly protected wild species.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Sillero, N., Campos, J., Bonardi, A., Corti, C., Creemers, R., Crochet, P.-A., Crnobrnja-Isailović, J., Denoël, M., Ficetola, G.F., Gonçalves, J., Kuzmin, S., Lymberakis, P., de Pous, P., Rodríguez, A., Sindaco, R., Speybroeck, J., Toxopeus, B., Vieites, D.R., Vences, M. 2014. Updated distribution and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles of Europe. .p 1-31.

Particip .2017. ‘Strengthening the capacities for implementation of NATURA 2000’. MoEPP. Skopje . .p /.

Sterijovski, B., Tomović, L., Ajtić, R. 2014. Contribution to the knowledge of the Reptile fauna and diversity in FYR of Macedonia. .p 83–92.

Ministry of environment and physical planning. 2018. National biodiversity strategy and action plan : for the period 2018 – 2023. Ministry of environment and physical planning. Skopje. .p 183.

Speybroeck, J. Beuckema, W., Bok, B., Voort, J.V.D. 2016. Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc London . .p/.

Melovski, Lj., Markoski, B., Hristovski, S., Jovanovska, D., Anastasovski, V., Klincharov, S., Velevski, M., Velkovski, N., Trendafilov, A., Matevski, V., Kostadinovski, M., Karadelev, M., Levkov, Z., Kolchakovski, D. 2013. Regional division of the Republic of Macedonia for the needs of biological databases . .p 81-111.

Gasc, J-P., Cabela, A., Crnobrnja-Isailović, J., Dolmen, D., Grossenbacher, K., Haffner, P., Lescure, J., Martens, H., Martinez-Rica, J.P., Maurin, H., Oliveira, M.L., Sofianidou, T.S., Veith, M., Zuiderwijk, A. 1997. Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Europe Societas Europaea Herpetologica & Museum Nationall d’ Histoire Naturelle (IEGB/SPN). Paris. .p 496.

Joger et al. 2009 Vipera ursinii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009 . .p /.