Daily activity of the Hungarian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis) under seminatural conditions
Keywords:
Hungarian meadow viper, daily activity, seminatural conditions, Hungarian Meadow Viper Conservation CentreAbstract
The purpose of the study was to gain knowledge of the activity of the highly endangered Hungarian meadow viper (Vipera ursinii rakosiensis, Méhely, 1893), as well as to compare its activity with the soil surface and air temperature. The research was carried out in the Hungarian Meadow Viper Conservation Centre in 2007 and 2008, where 71 individuals kept in captivity were examined. The snakes were divided into four groups: juvenile males, juvenile females, adult males and adult females. The vipers daily activity showed an unimodal pattern in spring and autumn with one peak in the middle of the day, and a bimodal pattern in the summer with two peaks, one before and one after midday. Specificities of the study have to be also emphasized: the observed snakes were born in captivity and are kept in semi-natural surroundings; in addition, one can reckon with high density of snakes in a relatively small area, which most probably influences the animals’ behavior and life rhythm.
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Copyright (c) 2010 Sándor Imola, Katona Krisztián, Szövényi Gergely, Brankovits Dávid, Halpern Bálint, Péchy Tamás
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