L. Forró szerk.: Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 8. 1993 (Budapest, 1993)

Janisch, M.: A mutant form of the meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis Méhely) from Hungary with a peculiar colour pattern

MISCELLANEA Tom us 8. ZOOLOGICA 1993 HUNGARICA p. 45^19 A mutant form of the meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis Méhely) from Hungary with a peculiar colour pattern by M. Janisch (Received July 2, 1993) Abstract: A gravid female of the meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis) with a peculiar colour pattern is described from one of the last Hungarian localities of this rare and endangered snake. A detailed morphological characterization of the mutant specimen is given and illustrated, together with a short summary of its 95 days life history in the terrarium. Before releasing, the female has given birth to 19 youngs, 13 of them having the same mutant colouration. Key words: meadow viper, Vipera ursinii rakosiensis, mutant colour pattern Introduction It is an unfortunate, though well-known fact, that the isolated populations of the meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis Méhely, 1893) in the Carpathian Basin - and hence in Hungary - have become endangered during the last decades (Takács et al. 1987, Korsós 1992). This tendency was caused partly by the illegal collections of Hungarian and foreign pet-keepers, but more considerably the consequence of the changes of natural habitats, e. g. the draining and afforestation in the Hanság, the development of large agricultural fields, the fragmentation, overgrazing or break of meadows in the Great Hungarian Plain, the spring pasture burning, the use of fertilizers, and last but not least the increasing number of predators. As a consequence of the profound changes in the ecological conditions of the localities, certain populations of the meadow viper have considerably reduced in number, or have even completely disappeared. Realizing the situation, the Hungarian Ministry for the Protection of the Environment enlisted the meadow viper as a highly protected species, having a theoretical nature conservation value of 500,000 Hungarian Forints. During the preparation of the Kiskunság National Park established in 1975, the boundaries of the protected areas were also decided on the basis of the considerations mentioned above. Moreover, within the 13,000 hectares of the Hanság Nature Reserve, an important and pristine meadow viper habitat was fenced and put under strict protection as "The Sanctuary". On the 26th of August, 1985, eight members of the Conservation Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica, headed by Mr. Keith Corbett, visited the Sanctuary in the Hanság Nature Reserve. In spite of the inappropriate weather conditions, 12 specimens of Vipera ursinii rakosiensis have been observed and photographed, including a gravid female. The decision of the Committee was to come back alter two years, and to help to organize a survey of the habitats and popul-