Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens)

This year, my work took me through all the known Romanian habitats of the meadow viper (Vipera ursinii). In June, I managed to get into the only known habitat of Vipera ursinii rakosiensis in Romania (somewhere in Transylvania). During one day, we managed to find 10 specimens (two of which managed to bite two of us - weird, right ?). After collecting the necessary data, we still had some time for photography. I normally use my Canon EOS 500d together with a Canon 17-85 mm lens (my "default" lens) or the "kit" lens (18-55mm). This time, however, I was able to borrow a Canon 100mm macro lens from another member of the team who was present there... I'm used to using only natural light so using the macro lens and mixt lighting was a new experience for me. Anyway, here is the end result, with no processing:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_8210

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_8210

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_8510

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_8710

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Ursini10

A really nice specimen. This viper is really a stunner, just love these adders...
Great photos!

Some very nice shots!
The last one would be worth to exchange the eyes to get more depth of field. I usually do some shots with different focal points anf then expand the DOF - just a hint.
But anyway fine work!
Guenter

Nice shots! Too bad these vipers along with Vipera aspis are believed to be extinct in Bulgaria Sad

Wow! Very cool Alexandru!
In july this year i traveled to Hungary to visit "Conservation of Meadow Viper"
A realy nice place whit around 100 nice outside cages whit many many Vipera ursinii rakosiensis for breed and replacement in their huge area of conservation projekt Smile

Realy fantastic you find 10 snakes in one day!!
I borrow youre topic to show some pics from my visit in july 2010 Smile

Conservation of Hungarian Meadow Viper site:
http://www.rakosivipera.hu/en/

This picture is of "Rakosi stream" that go tru Budapest and some of the first
Vipera ursinii rakosiensis was found.

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) 277

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) 277

Next picture is some hour drive out in outback of Budapest in front of a small nasty not comfortable road to a hidden area for conservation.

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) 260

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) 260

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) 261

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) 283

And some picture of Vipera ursisnii rakosiensis and me.

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142224

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142225

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142226

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142240

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142242

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142233

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142239

@everyone: thank you for your kind remarks.

@Guenter Leitenbauer: Thank you for the tip. I'll try to use your advice next time; but first I have to buy a macro lens of my own... I'm just waiting to find a second hand one...

@Martin Romanov: Regarding Vipera aspis, it probably never existed in Bulgaria. The 3 known specimens of the so called "Vipera aspis balcanica" were probably hybrids of Vipera berus and Vipera ammodytes and/or aberant Vipera ammodytes. I have never personally seen the specimens but this is the generally accepted explanation.

Alexandru Strugariu wrote:: @everyone: thank you for your kind remarks.

@Guenter Leitenbauer: Thank you for the tip. I'll try to use your advice next time; but first I have to buy a macro lens of my own... I'm just waiting to find a second hand one...

@Martin Romanov: Regarding Vipera aspis, it probably never existed in Bulgaria. The 3 known specimens of the so called "Vipera aspis balcanica" were probably hybrids of Vipera berus and Vipera ammodytes and/or aberant Vipera ammodytes. I have never personally seen the specimens but this is the generally accepted explanation.

I didn't know that. Thanks for the info!

Johan Pennanen wrote:: Wow! Very cool Alexandru!
In july this year i traveled to Hungary to visit "Conservation of Meadow Viper"
A realy nice place whit around 100 nice outside cages whit many many Vipera ursinii rakosiensis for breed and replacement in their huge area of conservation projekt
Realy fantastic you find 10 snakes in one day!!
I borrow youre topic to show some pics from my visit in july 2010
Conservation of Hungarian Meadow Viper site:
http://www.rakosivipera.hu/en/

Thank you.
I was lucky enough to be an invited speaker at both the closing workshop of the V. u. rakosiensis Life Project (October 2007) and at the opening workshop of the V. u. rakosiensis Life + Project (October 2009) so I have visited the viper conservation center of the MME twice. It is indeed a very nice facility and has had some very good results. Here are a few more pictures of the facility which I took in 2007:

Outdoor facility:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580710

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580710

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580711

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580712

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580713

Artificial hibernation chamber; these things are "planted" both in the outdoor cages and in the reconstructed habitat; they are used by vipers as well as Coronella austriaca, Natrix natrix, lizards, newts and crickets; all these animals have been observed hibernating together in these chambers:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580610

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580610

Hungarian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis) prbably in the hand of Tamas Pechy:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580611

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580611

Me and V. u. rakosiensis:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580714

Young adult V. u. rakosiensis in outdoor cage:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580612

Newborn V. u. rakosiensis in indoor terrarium:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580715

Indoor facility used for "nursing" young vipers and for keeping gravid females:

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580716

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P1580716

Are these adders are relative calm?
How do you feed the juveniles / adults?

good to see such projects!

Fantastic!! I add some moore pictures!
I realy like this conservation place and the work for Vipera ursinii rakosiensis!
I was invited to go back late august and september to help them whit all babys but time and work whit my own animals dident get me time for this year Sad

But i will for sure go back there!

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142241

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142221

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142222

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142223

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142231

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142227

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142265

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142229

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142249

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142245

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142246

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142259

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) P7142263

Sorry for bad quality pictures!

I have to say i see their behavior is like berus, and they feed them whit crickets once a week and mice once a months, they told me.

/ Johan

Fabian Dirks wrote:: Are these adders are relative calm?
How do you feed the juveniles / adults?

good to see such projects!

Hi,

I have caught over 100 meadow vipers (V. u. rakosiensis and V. u. moldavica) so far and, in the field, I would have to say that they are second only to Montivipera xanthina in terms of aggressiveness. Fortunately, their bark is worse than their bite, usually. I was bitten by a young specimen this year and all I felt was a subtle sting in my finger which lasted about 5 minutes. I saw two more people being bitten by adult meadow vipers this year and one bite was similar to mine while the other one just had minimal swelling of the finger and some mild local pain. In the latter case, the pain only lasted 30 minutes and the swelling completely regressed within 24 hours... The semi-captive vipers from Hungary, however, seem to be much more placid than the really wild ones.

I never kept this species at home but, indeed, the people from the Viper Conservation Center in Hungary feed them mostly crickets but also throw in a mouse once in a while.

Fantastic !!!

I really need to visit this place. JP and Alexandru really nice pictures.

Regards
Daniel

Thx for reply.

Thanks for these good info's and good pictures!
Didn't hear of this place before.
Very Interesting!
Regards
Ambros

Guest

Hello!

Hope you excuse me also hijacking this thread Wink

Last year we also spent 2 days at the Rakosi Vipera Center, and were lucky enough to find 3 specimens in the national park.

Here are some pics:

Best wishes,
Christoph

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_1010

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_1010

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_0610

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Img_1011

Quote :: Hello!

Hope you excuse me also hijacking this thread Last year we also spent 2 days at the Rakosi Vipera Center, and were lucky enough to find 3 specimens in the national park.

Here are some pics:

Best wishes,
Christoph

That's nice. I've only visited the place in late fall (autumn) and, despite searching the park, I only found all the other reptile species native to the area but not the meadow viper... The visit to the Romanian population, however, made up for this Smile

Nice and interesting pics!
Alex,you can also try the auto extension tubes for Canon with your kit lens 18-55.It gives good macro results...

This pic was made with a lens 18-55 and macro ring(extension tube) 31mm
Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Berustmacro

Vipera ursinii rakosiensis - close-ups (first play with a macro lens) Berustmacro

Hello,
What to say... WOW. What a thread. I knew about this institution before, but didn't have the chance to get more info, thanks! The photos are awesome. I'd love to have a work like that...
Best regards,
Maciej

@ Rok: Thank you for your advice. I have thought of buying macro rings but the price for them is a but too much I think... I decided that I'd rather make an extra effort and buy a dedicated macro lense.

@ Maciej: Thank you for your kind comments.

http://videa.hu/videok/allatok/vipera-szuletesek-halpern-balint-kiskunsag-tnwmN8RHvASrioou

» Two times macro..
» Another squam macro
» Some close-ups: Porthidium, Vipera and Atropoides
» Something completely different ... Discarded
» Wide-angle lens!??