O. G. Dely szerk.: Vertebrata Hungarica 21. (Budapest, 1982)
Alekperov, A. M.: The present state of rare and threatened species and subspecies of herpetofauna in Azerbaidzhan 19-24. o.
Vipera urslnli Bonaparte, 1835 In Azerbaidzhan the subspecies Vipera urslnií renard i (Cristoph) occurs in decreasing numbers. It occurs in the eastern, south-eastern and south-western parts of the republic (ALEKPEROV 1978). It inhabits very different regions, including high-altitude steppes, alpine meadows, stony hill-sides, frequently overgrown with xerophytous vegetation, semi-deserts, grassy sandhills, and rarely cultivated field. Its distribution ranges from 700 m (near Shemakha) as far as 2500 m above sea level (lake Kanllgel, Nakhitshevan ASSR; Isty-Su, Kelbadzhar district: ALEKPEROV 1978, BANNIKOV et al. 1977). On the Karabakh plateau (2000-3000 m above séa level) 3-4 snake per hectare were found In a subalpine meadow. Mating takes place usually in the middle of May. The gestation period Is 30 to 130 (mostly 105-110) days long. Between the beginning of August and the middle of September, females produce 5-6 "(or 3-16)) youngs which measure 12-18 cm in length. Their lifetime is 7-8 years in nature. The principal causes of the reduction of population size of this snake are the encroachment of agriculture on its biotopes, collecting and persecution by man. Its hunting must be forbidden, protected and controlled alpine meadow areas should be demarcated in the Batabat district and over Isty-Su with an area of 3-5 hectares each, where the pasturing should also be prohibited (ALEKPEROV 1978, BANNIKOV et al. 1977). Vipera ammodytes (Linnaeus, 1758) This Is a threatened endemic speciesthat has been entered into the Red Book of the I.U.C.N. In Azerbaidzhan part of the Little Caucasus probably Its subspecies Vipera ammodytes transcaucaslan a Boul. occurs. It Inhabits shrubby stony slopes (ALEKPEROV 1978, DAREVSKIÏ 1975) and mixed and coniferous mountain forests (BANNIKOV & MAKEEV 1976, MUSKHELISHVILI 1970). It is necessary to identify the localities and estimate the sizes of its populations in order to elaborate the conservation measures required. Vipera xanthina Gray, 1849 This is a threatened species also and it has been entered into the Red Book of the I.U.C.N. In Nakhitshevan ASSR the subspecies Vipera xanthina radde i Boett. occurs. It inhabits mountainous and submountain regions covered with thinned forests and xerophytous shrub vegetation, stony slopes (ALEKPEROV & SHARIFOV 1978, DAREVSKIÏ 1975). The distribution of this species extends up to an altitude 2250 m above sea level. The mean number of snakes per hectare Is 2-3 and In hibernation period on some places this figure is as high as 10. Mating takes place in May. It is an ovoviviparous snake. Offsprings are delivered, In the middle of August. The most important cause for the reduction of its distribution and population size is the increase of the area of land affected by Man. It has been entered into the Red Book of USSR and its hunting is forbidden. There is a need for propaganda for conservation of itá populations. Agklstrodon halys (Pallas, 1776) In the South-East of Azerbaidzhan the subspecies Agklstrodon halys caucaslcu s Nik. occurs with decreasing distribution and population size. It inhabits different biotopes: mountain regions as well as submountain and lowland forests. It prefers cliffs and stony areas with shrubby and grassy vegetation and the fringes of forests. Its distribution stretches up to an attitude of 2200 m above sea level, where it lives in deforested dry places. Its populations are small, but there are no exact data on their sizes. REFERENCES ALEKPEROV, A.M. (1964): O khvostatykh zemnovodnykh (Caudata) v Azerbaldzhane. - Uchenye zap!ski AGU, ser.biol.nauk, Baku, 2: 21-23. ALEKPEROV, A.M. (1975): Materialy po izuchenlyu çherepakh Azerbatdzhanskoï SSR. - In: Materialy po faune i ékologii nazemnykh pozvonochnykh Azerbaïdzhana: 23 7-252. - Baku.
