Etymology
The Specific name (zoology), specific name, ''bornmuelleri'', is in honor of Germans, German botanist Joseph Friedrich Nicolaus Bornmüller.Description
''M. bornmuelleri'' grows to a maximum total length (including tail) of about , but usually much less. Males tend to be larger than females in some populations. In specimens from Mount Lebanon, the maximum total lengths were for females and for males. The tail accounts for about 7–10% of the total length.Geographic range and habitat
''M. bornmuelleri'' is found in high mountain areas in northern Israel, Palestine (region), Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria. Its preferred natural habitats are cedar forest, shrubland, and alpine grassland.Reproduction
''M. bornmuelleri'' is Viviparity, viviparous.Taxonomy
The original syntypes of ''M. bornmuelleri'' were collected in Lebanon at 1800 m (5,900 ft) and in the Bolkar mountains of western Turkey at 2200 m (7,200 ft) as described by Franz Werner in 1898.Nilson, Göran; :de:Claes Andrén, Andrén, Claes (1985). "Systematics of the ''Vipera xanthina'' Complex (Reptilia: Viperidae). III. Taxonomic Status of the Bulgar Dagh Viper in South Turkey". ''Journal of Herpetology'' 19 (2): 276–283. (p. 276.) In 1922, Werner restricted the Type locality (biology), type locality to Lebanon in his designation of his specimen as a lectotype, and in 1938 separated out the southern varieties as a separate species (''Daboia palaestinae''). In 1967 Robert Mertens, Mertens raised the name ''bornmuelleri'' to valid species rank for the Lebanese populations, thus leaving the name ''xanthina'' for all Turkish populations, which arrangement was accepted by :tr:İbrahim Baran, Baran in 1976,:tr:İbrahim Baran, Baran İ (1976). "''Tiirkiye yilanlarinin taksonomik revizyonu ve cografi dagilislari'' ". ''TBTAK Yayinlari, Ankara, T.B.A.G.'' Series 9, (309): 177. (in Turkish). and agreed with by Nilson and :de:Claes Andrén, Andrén in their 1985 paper.Conservation status
The species ''M. bornmuelleri'' is classified as Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species with the following criteria: B1ab(iii) (v3.1, 2001). This indicates that it is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild because the extent of its occurrence within its geographic range is estimated to be less than 5,000 km2 (1,931 sq mi), because its populations are severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than 5 locations, and because a continued decline is observed, inferred or projected in the area, extent and/or quality of its habitat.References
Further reading
*Thomas Garrigues, Garrigues T, Catherine Dauga, Dauga C, Elisabeth Ferquel, Ferquel E, Valérie Choumet, Choumet V, Anna-Bella Failloux, Failloux A-B (2005). "Molecular phylogeny of ''Vipera'' Laurenti, 1768 and the related genera ''Microvipera'' (Reuss, 1927) and ''Daboia'' (Gray, 1842), with comments about neurotoxic ''Vipera aspis aspis'' populations". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 35 (1): 35–47. *Philippe Golay, Golay P, Hobart Muir Smith, Smith HM, Donald George Broadley, Broadley DG, James R. Dixon, Dixon JR, Colin John McCarthy, McCarthy CJ, Jean-Claude Rage, Rage J-C, Beat Schätti, Schätti B, Michihisa Toriba, Toriba M (1993). ''Endoglyphs and other Major Venomous Snakes of the World. A Checklist.'' Geneva: Azemiops. 478 pp. *Fritz Jürgen Obst, Obst FJ (1983). "''Zur Kenntnis der Schlangengattung'' Vipera". ''Zoologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde in Dresden'' 38: 229–235. (in German). {{Taxonbar, from=Q1713856 Montivipera Reptiles of the Middle East Reptiles described in 1898