Milos Viper

This website is dedicated to the endangered snake species Macrovipera schweizeri, commonly known as the Milos viper or the Cyclades Blunt-nosed viper. While a notorious snake species in Greece, it is one of the highest ranking target species for photography by herpetologists across Europe. The red phenotype is particularly attractive not only because of its appeal but also due to its rarity. Despite its allure, the Milos viper is heavily sought after by reptile breeders and is often subject to illegal collection. The latest estimate for the number of illegally collected individuals annually is somewhat less than 100. Conservation of the species should be a priority for all herpetologists. Herein we aim to provide as much updated information on the Milos viper as possible, hoping to raise awareness and help protect the species. This Group is open to anyone who has a sincere interest towards the Milos viper conservation, who has had previous work experience with the species or who is aspiring to do so in the future. Please do not hesitate to make contact to participate, offer information or even support. Worth-mentioning, there is no known recorded death from a Milos viper bite in recent history.

Macrovipera schweizeri is endemic to only four West Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea (Milos, Kimolos, Polyaigos and Sifnos), thus it has a very limited distribution range. Except for Milos, the other island populations are very small with the Sifnos population being the smallest and most dispersed one of them all. Generally, its population trend is categorized as "Decreasing" by IUCN. These islands happen to be some of the most sought-after destinations for summer vacations in the country. This, to an extend, is responsible for at least some encounters with the species. Even though exceptionally rare, accidental encounters remain a possibility and tourists should have access to at least some basic information so as to avoid unnecessary panic and to passively assist in more effective conservation.  The Milos viper is also heavily persecuted across its range by locals and most times killed on-sight, even though this seems to be slightly reversing the last couple of years. You can find more information on the separate island populations status in the "Distribution" page.

While Macrovipera schweizeri is the only viper species found on these four West Cyclades islands, other snake species also occur. It is important for the safety of both the species and the individual to be able to identify which one is the Milos viper. Thankfully, there is a relatively easy way of telling them apart by following three simple identification steps as detailed in the following photographic key. One should look out for 1. the head shape 2. the body girth and 3. the tail - depicted within the red circles in the following photo. Paying a little attention to the snake and noticing the head (beginning) the girth (middle) and the tail (end) can offer a pretty good estimate. In regards to its head the Milos viper tends to have a wide, triangular head shape due to the venom glands housed within (superficially beneath the scales in the posterior part of the head (1), posterior to the eyes). Males tend to have a more triangularly pronounced head than the females. Having said that, no other snake species found on these islands has such a head shape. Milos vipers and the genus Macrovipera tend to have a (2) thicker, girthier body silhouette. Except for juvenile individuals this is an easily identifiable characteristic. When it comes to other European and Greek viper species (e.g. Vipera berus, Vipera ammodytes) it is important to note that even though a "stout-bodied" description is used to identify individuals, this cannot be used in the case of the Milos viper. The Milos viper is a Palearctic species originating in Asia and has a longer total length than any of the Old World viper species, maxing out usually at 80cm - with an exceptionally rare record of 105cm. The tail end of the Milos viper (3) is an important step in the identification process. While spectating the head and moving towards the tail-end of this species the body girth increases and then after a point (where the cloaca is found) it abruptly decreases and sharply narrows. From that point on is the tail of the snake that also happens to start getting a yellowish tone towards the end making it stand out against the rest of the body's coloration. Additional comparative photographic keys along with more details on the complete herpetofauna of these islands can be found on the Distribution page. 

The Milos viper comes in two different "morphotypes", color "phenotypes" or simply put color variations. Grey and red. The grey phenotype is undoubtedly the most common, whereas the red is found very rarely and seems to be restricted to the West side of Milos island. Having said that, there have been records of the red phenotype on both Kimolos and Polyaigos from before the 2000s. Such records have yet to be confirmed. There is also very strong prevalence in the belief that the red colored individuals are more toxic than their grey counterparts, something that could not be further from the truth. The venom from both phenotypes has virtually the same composition and toxicity, with only negligent individual level variation. Another notable belief amongst the locals on Milos is that there are two species present on the island, the red one and the grey one. Different names have also been assigned to each of the two but overall the most common ones are "Therio", in Greek "Θηρίο" meaning beast and "Laspochendra" in Greek "Λασπόχεντρα" meaning mud viper. In Sifnos the species is referred to as "ochendra". Whatever the coloration, there is only one viper species on all four islands of Milos, Kimolos, Polyaigos and Sifnos, the Milos viper that comes in two different color variations. You can see the red phenotype in the following photograph.

The behavior and activity patterns of the Milos viper are particularly interesting. In typical Macrovipera fashion most individuals are rather feisty and bite-ready. However, this does not mean that they are inherently aggressive or that they will "chase" humans as it is widely believed. On the contrary, their secretive and cryptic nature has turned them into incredibly shy creatures that if startled will try to immediately instill fear on anyone they perceive as an aggressor and while loudly hiss. Then they raise their head and latter posterior part of the body while retreating backwards to flee as fast as possible. They will only stand their ground if threatened from multiple directions. See, snakes can pick up ground vibrations rather effectively so the presence of numerous people will cause them to receive signals from all directions thus forcing them to curl and try to exhibit a threatening posture to deter anything or anyone from getting closer. In our extensive fieldwork we have also come across very passive individuals that are not at all aggressive; but they seem to be the exception. Their activity patterns are changing according to the season. Spring signifies the end of the Winter season which means that the individuals have been subjected to low temperatures for a period of time thus promoting ovulation in females. This in turn kick-starts the breeding season which spans from late March to the end of May. During this time males typically stop feeding and commence a relentless search in pursuit of their other half. It is during this time period that most individuals are killed on the roads of the island and traditionally the vast majority are males. In the summer period when the temperatures spike they become crepuscular and remain active during the night when the temperatures are tolerable. The following photo by Matt Wilson was taken while on a nighttime search on Sifnos during July, a great example of the species' dorsal pattern and coloration, allowing it to perfectly blend in the background. It is very difficult for tourists to come across this viper, unless they visit during these islands in Spring. In Autumn and due to the temperature shift they become diurnal again, though not as active as in the breeding season. In the Winter most individuals are tucked away but they do not seem to be permanently brumating. Rather, one could more accurately say that they go between phases of intermittent brumation depending on the climatic conditions. Of course, these patterns are the general rule, exceptions to which may occur. 

Even to this day, when spending significant time on these islands, we keep hearing new myths, tales and local folklore from the shepherds and the locals. That is not to say that there is no truthful background to their beliefs. On the contrary, most are based on actual observations. A great example of this is the myth that the eels come out from the sea on the August's twilight and mate with the vipers on the sand. As a standalone claim, this is of course false and biologically impossible. However, if one does not immediately dismiss it, they can find some truth to it. A few years back, during a rather extensive hot August summer night expedition in the West side of Milos, we ended up searching for vipers by the sea (following photo). We found one individual merely two meters from were the waves came ashore, on the sand. When it realized that it was seen it actually dug itself into the sand. That night happened to be a full moon night and at the end of our search we decided to blow off some steam and take a swim. The full moon was so bright that one could see the bottom of the shallow sandy beach. The ebb of the tide had forced the sea level to withdraw. Because of the ebb part of the rocky formations emerging from the sea where now exposed forming small pond-like water masses. In one of the masses we found a small eel hunting a crab. Now back in the day if a local had been in a similar situation and observed both a snake by the sea and then an eel "moving on land" they would only need to add a touch of hyperbole and give birth to the aforementioned myth. This is to say that one should not be upfront dismissive of the tales the locals share, as they can encapsulate noteworthy observations if reduced to their parts. An extensive list of the known myths we have heard in passing to date can be found in the Myths page. 

These four islands in the West Cyclades archipelago hold a dear place in the hearts of every herpetologist that has visited them. They might be dry, rugged, drought-suffering and inhospitable at times but the biodiversity that they foster is exceptional to say the least. Currently, parts of these islands belong to the Natura 2000 protected areas network (following image with green coloration). This is something that surely assists in the protection and conservation of all biodiversity within these areas, however, as time goes by it becomes progressively easier for human activities to take place on them. One example is wind farms. There is mounting pressure by a number of companies to install and establish large scale wind farms right at the heart of these areas. Polyaigos island is particularly vulnerable as it has been the target of numerous attempts to establish such large scale projects with wind turbines covering it from top to bottom. Such projects will have a direct effect to both the local and passerine avifauna of the islands and surely to the rest of the ecosystem. Macrovipera schweizeri in particular happens to be strictly protected by both national Presidential Decree No. 67, Government Gazette 23/A/30-1-81, "On the protection of wild flora and fauna and the establishment of a coordination and control procedure for research on them" and international legislation (Bern Convention Appendix II "Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats", Council Directive 92/43/EEC of May 21 1992 "On the conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna".

All in all the Milos viper has found itself in a challenging place with a variety of threats and pressures currently affecting its ever decreasing population size and making it even more vulnerable to climate change which brings about prolonged droughts with higher temperatures. It is in the best interest of all herpetologists or even enthusiasts to assist in the efforts underway to better protect and preserve this species. Through education we can all raise awareness about this magnificent species that is unworthy of its notoriety. If you happen to be on any of these islands and have any information you deem worthy of sharing (e.g. encounter with the species), or you happen to hear a new myth, maybe even witness attempts to illegally collect individuals please do let us know either through the online form or directly at daftsios@bio.auth.gr .We are currently working to establish a system of checks at the port. If successful, the local authorities will have a better pversight and confiscate illegally collected specimens. Following is a snap from the strictly protected island of Polyaigos overlooking the East side of Milos.