Growth dynamics of the eastern steppe vipers Vipera renardi in terrarium conditions

The article presents the results of long-term (August 2014 - April 2017) observations of the postembryonic growth of vipers of nominative subspecies of eastern steppe viper Vipera renardi renardi born and kept under laboratory conditions. Seasonal changes in growth rates and sexual characteristics of changes in total body length (L.total), body length with head (L.corp.), tail length (L.cd.), index L.corp. / L.cd. and body mass (m) of young vipers were marked. It was shown that in the first year of life, changes in the parameters studied occurred equally in males and females, both in time and in amplitude. In the second year after birth, young adders revealed differences in the growth of the total body length L.total of males and females, due to a decrease in the growth rate of the body length with the head L.corp. in males. In this case, sexual differences in the growth rate of the tail length L.cd. of males and females were insignificant.