Vipera Albizona - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

After Nilson et al. (1990) first described V. albizona as a separate species that is parapatric with V. xanthina, a group of opponents led by Schätti soon argued that V. albizona, V. wagneri and V. bulgardaghica were more likely conspecific, belonging to the polymorphic species, V. xanthina. According to Bettex (1993), it was also difficult to tell V. albizona from V. wagneri based on color pattern alone. However, a study published by Mulder (1994) came out in support of Nilson et al. (1990) and asserted that the color pattern of V. albizona is actually quite distinct from that of V. wagneri.