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Reptiles and amphibians

The nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes), known locally as poskok, is found in the Dinaric Alps, including Montenegro. Its venom is highly poisonous (see ‘Safety in the Mountains’, below, for snake-bite treatment). Adult specimens are typically less than 60cm in length, but may sometimes grow to 90cm. A subspecies found in Montenegro (Vipera ammodytes meridionalis) is smaller. Nose-horned vipers are either light grey or brownish copper, with a dark black zigzag pattern along the back, and are recognizable by the prominent soft horn at the end of their snout. They prefer dry, rocky hillsides, but may also be found under low bushes or around dry stone walls, and even on rock faces. The common viper, or adder (Vipera berus), known locally as šarka or šarulja, is also found, together with the subspecies Vipera berus bosniensis. (It is perhaps worth mentioning that both the nose-horned Viper and the common viper also occur in other, more frequently visited parts of Europe. For example, the former is found in northern Italy, while the latter is also found in the UK.) Another species of viper, Orsini’s viper (Vipera ursinii), is considerably more docile. Other species of snake include the large whip snake (Coluber caspius), Balkan whip snake (Coluber gemonensis), Dahl’s whip snake (Coluber najadum) and the cat snake (Telescopus fallax).