The distribution of meadow and steppe vipers (Vipera graeca, V. renardi and v. ursinii): A revision of the new atlas of amphibians and reptiles of Europe

Abstract

In some cases, species’ distributions have not been accurate and some geographical areas were not accounted for in the New Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles of Europe (NA2RE), a project performed by the Mapping Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica (SEH). The distribution of species within the Vipera ursinii-renardi group were presented jointly as a single taxon (“Vipera ursinii/renardi”), without differentiation between the meadow viper V. ursinii, the steppe viper V. renardi, and the recently described Greek meadow viper Vipera graeca. Here we present a revised 50×50 km resolution distribution map of this group with new records, eliminating putative or erroneous records and extinct populations. Additionally, we filled several spatial gaps in the distribution of V. renardi in Eastern Europe by incorporating recent regional overviews, previously considered ambiguous or inaccessible to most researchers, due to language barriers.