A Nose-horned Viper Crosses the Road in Kosovo - Observation of the Week, 10/11/22

Our Observation of the Day is this Nose-horned Viper (Vipera ammodytes), seen in Kosovo by @liridonshala!

“I grew up among wonderful nature near Peja,” says Liridon Shala, “which is the most beautiful part of my country.” So he’s been interested in nature and its protection for nearly all of his life. Now, as pharmacist living the city of Prizren, he’s focused on nature photography. “With my photos, I want to show people about the beauties we have, like birds, animals, and everything that belongs to the wild world…My main goal is to document my country's species, and educate the younger generations to protect them and nature.”

A few weeks ago, Liridon and a friend traveled to Albania on a photography trip. They weren’t particularly happy with their finds, but on their way back they came across a nose-horned viper on the road. They pulled over but it took them a moment to re-find it after it slithered to some nearby stones. “Due to its camouflage, we couldn’t find it on the stones. When we did spot it, I started to take some pictures, but I was worried there might be others nearby.”

Occurring in mostly rocky habitats from Italy through the Balkans and into Turkey and Syria, nose-horned vipers are relatively large (growing up to about one meter) and their fangs can be about 13 mm in length. Adults eat mostly small mammals and birds, and younger snakes are known to eat invertebrates like centipedes. Their venom is considered medically significant to humans, but like just about any snake they prefer to warn or escape rather than bite. The “horn” on the nose is composed of scales and is reputed to be soft to the touch (but don’t try to touch it, please).

Liridon (above) joined iNat a few years ago. Not only has he added over 500 observations, he’s also part of a team that’s worked on translating it into Albanian. He mostly uses it as a personal portfolio for his photographs, and as a place to learn.

(Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.)

- You can check out Liridon’s photos on Instagram!

- Take a look at the most-faved observations in Kosovo!

Posted on October 11, 2022 08:16 PM by