Habitat loss threatens Turkey's 'critically endangered' viper: Expert

Turkey's unique and critically endangered Anatolian meadow viper is under threat from serious habitat loss caused by various factors, including the opening of new stone quarries, according to an expert.

Thanks to climatic and geographical conditions, the fauna of Turkey is abundant and extremely varied and includes many rare and endemic species.

But in Turkey, as in other parts of the world, such species struggle to survive under various threats such as climate change, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mert Karis, an expert on herpetology, the branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians, said the first member of the species was discovered in 1970 in the Ciglikara Nature Reserve, located in the Elmali district of Antalya province.

"Anatolian meadow viper, also known by its Latin name Vipera anatolica, lives only within the areas of Antalya province at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,500 meters in the Central and Western Taurus Mountains," said Karis, who is also a lecturer at the Nevsehir Haci Bayram Veli University.

The species can be found in forests with karst limestones and glade, he said in the interview taken ahead of the Endangered Species Day, marked annually on the third Friday of May.

After first being spotted, it disappeared for 40 years until 2014.

Karis, along with Bayram Gocmen, a renowned Turkish zoologist, once again spotted the species and determined its existence in the Ciglikara forests.

"Then, two years later, we discovered that there was a new population in the Geyik Mountains in the Central Taurus, as in 2017 it was recorded in scientific records as a new subspecies of the Anatolian viper," he said.

Touching on the nature of the unique species, Karis said that Anatolian vipers' maximum adult length is only 40-50 centimeters and they feed on grasshoppers, especially those who belong to the Acrididae family.

The endemic Anatolian meadow viper is listed as a critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Climate change, quarries, transhumance

"In this context, although it is a poisonous species, it does not pose any danger to humans since its adaptation is based on eating locusts," Karis said, adding that venomous snakes will only bite defensively when they feel under pressure and stress.

Karis pointed out the danger of habitat loss that can be caused by various factors such as climate change, mining activities, and transhumance.

"Since the habitats of these species are mostly in the higher altitudes and there is a transhumance culture in the higher parts of the Taurus, the people should do their activities in a controlled manner so as not to harm this species and there is need for being more careful while, establishing new settlements and grazing animals," he noted.

Touching on mining activity as another threat, he stated that there are stone quarries in the region that pose danger to the habitats of Anatolian vipers.

"In fact, as a result of our work, we succeeded and got a stay order for mining activity. However, the opening of such new quarries should be prevented," he added.

He went on to say that global warming, caused by climate change, prevents the distribution of this species like many others, and will force the species to be stuck in that area.

"If we do not protect animals in danger of extinction, we will not be able to pass them to future generations and we may risk losing our biodiversity and perhaps our eco-tourism in the future," he added.

Since this species also play an important role in the food chain, they maintain ecological balance, Karis noted.

"This is a very special species for me, after its discovery, it has not been seen for years, the rediscovery of it and the discovery of a new subspecies has given us hope that this viper will continue its population," he concluded.