L.A. Zoo Welcomes Two Litters of Rare Armenian Vipers

An adult Armenian viper (Source: Ian Recchio)

LOS ANGELES””The Los Angeles Zoo is pleased to welcome two litters of Armenian vipers to the collection at the Living Amphibians, Reptiles, and Invertebrates (LAIR) exhibit. Unlike most snakes whose young hatch from eggs, two female Armenian vipers gave birth to live young on Monday, July 13 and Thursday, July 16. LAIR has housed four adult Armenian vipers, two male and two female, in its collection for around three years, but the eight babies from these two litters are the first successful births after years of encouraging the species to breed.

“Armenian vipers are difficult to reproduce in captivity because they come from a mountainous environment which has snow on the ground for a good part of the year,”