Believe it or not, you can find 3 types of venomous snakes in Azerbaijan.

But please don’t live in fear, thinking that you are going to be bitten. In general, snakes try to avoid any contact or interaction with people. If you leave them alone, you shouldn’t have any trouble!

Did you know that snakes are venomous, NOT poisonous? If you eat something that makes you sick, then it’s considered “poisonous.” If an animal, like a snake, delivers its toxins when it bites, it’s considered “venomous.”

*If you encounter any of these species, PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB! Venomous snakes are dangerous animals and should be left alone. The more you agitate them, the more likely you will get bitten. DO NOT RELY ON THIS ARTICLE to correctly identify a snake that has recently bitten you. If you have recently been bitten, GO DIRECTLY to the nearest hospital to get help and to determine if the snake is venomous.*

Venomous Snakes in Azerbaijan:

#1. Armenian Viper

• Montivipera raddei

Also known as the Armenian Mountain Adder, Armenian Mountain Viper, Caucasus Viper, Radde’s Mountain Viper, and Rock Viper.

• Adults grow to an average length of 79-99 cm (31-39 in), with males being larger.
• There is a single large scale on each eye, looking like a slightly protruded eyebrow.
• The head is marked with deep black bands that extend from the back of each eye toward the neck. There are also teardrop markings on the top.

This venomous snake hangs out in Azerbaijan in rocky landscapes, grasslands, and forests. Occasionally, it finds its way into agricultural lands, searching for its favorite meal—mice and locusts.

Armenian Viper Range Map

Armenian Vipers are nocturnal hunters. When the sun sets, they set out to ambush sleeping lizards, small mammals, rodents, and birds.

As soon as baby Armenian Vipers hatch, these juvenile snakes are already equipped with venom potent enough to seriously harm an adult human! Although fatalities are rare, the bite of an Armenian Viper can cause intense pain, swelling, internal bleeding, necrosis, and respiratory failure. Watch out!

#2. Levantine Viper

• Macrovipera lebetinus

Also known as the Lebetine Viper, Levant Viper, Lebanese Viper, Blunt-nosed Viper, West-Asian Blunt-nosed Viper, Mountain Viper, Coffin Snake.

• Adults are 150 cm (59 in) long on average.
• Usual body colorations include gray, beige, or tan. They’re spotted or striped brown and blue along their bodies.
• True to their common name, “Blunt-nosed Viper,” they have blunt snouts. They also have flat, broad, triangular heads.

Lurking among the mountain valleys, rocky hills, and shrublands of Azerbaijan is the Levantine Viper, a true master of disguise. By day, this snake hides under the cool shade of trees or stakes out near water holes.

When the sun goes down, the Levantine Viper positions itself to catch lizards, birds, and rats (juvenile vipers, on the other hand, prefer to eat insects). Though sluggish and unmoving for the most part, this viper will strike with astonishing speed at any passing prey!

Unfortunately, this highly venomous species frequently finds its way into urban areas searching for mice. Bite incidents from Levantine Vipers are common, causing abdominal pain, blistering, internal bleeding, and death in the worst cases. If you get bitten, seek medical help at once!

#3. Halys Pit Viper

• Gloydius halys

Also known as the Siberian Pit Viper, Halys Viper, Pallas’s Pit Viper, Asiatic Pit Viper, Asiatic Moccasin, and Mongolian Pit Viper.

• The Halys pit viper can grow to a maximum length of 59 cm (23 in).
• Their coloring is gray, red, pale brown, or yellow, with large dark spots, crossbars, and a white belly speckled with gray or brown.

The Halys Pit Viper is a venomous snake found in Azerbaijan.

Its habitat includes montane slopes and plains or rocky high mountain plateaus. It is a terrestrial snake, mostly found on the ground. Look for this species during the day, which is its preferred time to hunt. Its diet includes lizards, rodents, snakes, birds, and frogs.

Keep a respectful distance if you see the Halys Pit Viper! This is an incredibly dangerous snake. Its venom contains neurotoxins, which affect the brain and nerves, and necrotoxins, which cause bleeding and infection.

Bite symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on the amount of venom exposure. Victims have reported excruciating pain, severe swelling, bruising, blistering, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, respiratory distress, dizziness, collapse, or convulsions. The best way to avoid being bitten is to be cautious in this snake’s range and back away slowly if you discover one.

Check out these guides to other animals found in Azerbaijan!

• 8 Types of Snakes That Live in Azerbaijan! (ID Guide)

• 15 MOST Common Birds That Live in Azerbaijan!

• 11 MOST Common SPIDERS Found in Azerbaijan!

Which of these venomous snakes have you seen before in Azerbaijan?

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