Viper's birth (photo: Bálint Halpern)
This year between 3rd and 30th of August, 240 Hungarian meadow viper were born in the Viper Centre near Kunpeszér, raising the number of vipers kept in the Centre over 700. As the surviving wild populations size is estimated altogether around 500 vipers in Hungary, we can claim that the majority of the vipers live in the conservation centre.
Newborn vipers are 14 cm long and their weight is 2,4 g on average. The good news is that the breeding 21 female had an average clutch size of 11 young vipers on average, while the biggest was 19 snakes. It is well beyond the previous years’ average clutch size, which was 9 vipers. The small vipers were measured, pictures were taken of them for future identification and they were accommodated in outdoor terrariums in groups of 30. A short documentary about the event was prepared, and it can be seen by clicking on the picture below:
