The meadow viper (Vipera ursinii ursinii) is surely among my preferred European snakes. It’s not very close to my home, so I only witnessed this beautiful species twice in my life. This is a portrait of a male I saw earlier this year in Central Italy, where there’s a relict population living in the high altitude meadows with Juniperus trees. They mostly feed on grasshoppers and snails, but they can seize little mice if an opportunity comes. I’ll post some more images of them in the next days/weeks, so I hope you like this amazing unique species. #viper #adder #vipera #vipersofinstagram #viperaursinii #herping #herpsofinstagram #picoftheday #portrait #laowa100mm #macro #macrophotography #venom #snake #meadow #italy @ilcp_photographers https://www.instagram.com/p/CEBlVfSg4k9/?igshid=1ay1a6j7o6lot
