CreatureData

Asp viper vs Common adder

The common adder is heavier: 180.5 g against 22.4 g for the asp viper, about 8.1 times the weight.

Asp viper (Vipera aspis)
Asp viper VUVulnerable
Photo: Felix Reimann · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

No freely licensed photo yet

Common adder

What is the difference between a asp viper and a common adder?

Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.

  • The common adder is heavier: 180.5 g against 22.4 g for the asp viper, about 8.1 times the weight.
  • The asp viper is longer: 48 cm against 42.2 cm for the common adder, about 14% longer.
  • The asp viper is longer-lived: 16.4 years against 10.6 years for the common adder, about 55% longer.
  • Both belong to the genus Vipera, so they are close relatives.

Side by side

Asp viperCommon adder
Scientific nameVipera aspisVipera lotievi
FamilyViperidaeViperidae
OrderSquamataSquamata
Weight22.4 g180.5 g
Length48 cm42.2 cm
Lifespan16.4 years10.6 years
Main foodNot recordedNot recorded
Habitatforestforest
Conservation statusVulnerableNot recorded
Countries recordedNot recordedNot recorded

Which is bigger?

ASP VIPER · 48 CMCOMMON ADDER · 42.2 CM
Greatest recorded body length, drawn to the same scale: Asp viper 48 cm, Common adder 42.2 cm.

Full record: Asp viperFull record: Common adderCompare other animals