Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake

This is a mix of pictures from 2007 and 2008. All pictures are taking in the same area.

It is realy interesting because in this place, all the males and the females leave same the places and go s' to hear in the surroundings with the wire of time. It is a calcareous fault and on arrival of the winter they all return in this fault. Sometimes at the beginning of the year it arrives to me of dining it low and only while being to pose on stones I see ten males which leave. That is almost difficult to go without crushed sometimes

(I hope you understand my explanations lol)

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Dsc00220001da4

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Dsc00220001da4

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Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Dsc00320001kb0

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Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Dsc00640001eq8

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Dsc00650001qr6

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Dsc00660001eg1

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Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Baby1jk9

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Baby2sm2

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Fangsyi3

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Male1su0

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Male2ku3

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Twomalefight1qw1

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Twomalesfight2uc8

I hope you like that. it's not very exotic but I find this very nice Very Happy

Shots of habitat and animals in nature, are very interesting to the most users.
This is an interesting species and really good shots.

Cheers Fabian

Great photos!!

I especially like the two male-combat pictures at the end!!

Hello Neil,
beautiful fotos, thank you for sharing them with us.
Finding several V. aspis or other snake-species aggregating in special places for hibernation and then mating in spring is quite normal in the cooler parts of their distribution range. But nevertheless, being in such a place is a great experience.

I know a place in north-east Italy where V. aspis and V. ammodytes that live in the same area in slightly different habitats hibernate in one small cave together with Zamenis longissimus and Hierophis viridiflavus.
In another place in northern Croatia I have been watching a population of V. ammodytes for 19 years up to now. The V. amm. of this area hibernate in 3 dens, ca 50 in each den, the distance between these dens is 500 and 700m. The snakes travel up to over 4km from their summer-place to the hibernation-site and back each year. I know the summer places of several of these animals, I found 2 of the males in the same summer place in summer for 19 years now, and each spring in front of the same hibernaculum, fighting and mating. The summer-place of one of these males is 4,3 km away from the winter-den.
In springtime, going there is one of the highlights of my outdoor activities each year. Therefore I can really understand that you like to go to that place.

Cheers,
Rainer

Thanks Rainer for your explanations

Here a schematized representation of the place. This why I find it so particular it is because it is very small. In red it is the calcareous fault or will go mainly all the vipers to hibernate (in this places one also finds Hierophis viridiflavus "reintroducted" and Coronella austriaca) Next in yellow are represented the places attended mainly after the couplings. What is fantastic it is that in juste one hour (March-April) it easy to see 20-30 vipers and sometimes the double. The kind of small paradise that everyone appreciates. Very Happy

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Onensfg8

Hello Neil,thank you for the details. The situation is very similar to some places where I found V.ammodtes hibernating and spending their time from spring till autumn.In some places where the snakes have enough habitat for spending the summer but only few spots are available for hibernation (deep caves with cool conditions but not freezing) they have to crawl long distances from their summer- to winter-places. And in some of these hibernation dens you can find big numbers of snakes. In front of one of the V. ammod. dens I knew (doesn´t exist any longer, it is a place for car-racing now) there used to be more than 200 adult V. ammodytes, fighting and mating in spring in an area of about 20 x 20m. It was just overwhelming.
I add some fotos that show one of "my paradies" that still exist ( aca 1 1/2 hours´drive away from my home). Behind the red X is the entrance to a small cave that splits and several small caves and cracks lead deep into the limestone. The snakes have to climb up this limestone-wall for ca 2m to get to the entrance of the cave. The other foto shows the entrance of the cave and some of the snakes.The snakes on the third foto are some of those that hibernate in that cave, the 2 males with the red X are those that I have been watchin for the 19th year in 2008. The grey-black one is the one whose summer-place is 4,3 km away from the winter-den.
One thing: Don´t tell such places to people that you are not absolutely sure about whether you can trust them. There are still people who would go to such places and catch the snakes for selling them.

Best wishes, only about 3 months left until you can visit that place and the snakes again,
Rainer

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Wand_t12

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Wand_t12

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Winter10

Vipera aspis in Switzerland near Neuchâtel Lake Paarg_10

Great photos. I love natural shoots.

Thank you Rainer it is really interesting.
Unfortunately in one of my other place favourites, of the taking away one made in 2007 I supposes because the number of vipers seems to me with clearly decreased.

Very interesting!

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