Molecular-genetic analysis of rare and protected species of Volga vipers

A comparative study of the microsatellite 7-87 locus for the Vipera snakes of the Saratov region and other territories of the European Russia was made. A high species-specific relation of Vipera nikolskii from the territory of the Saratov region with the 152 p.n. allele has been revealed. A significant genetic isolation of the «Saratov» populations from the snakes (Vipera berus) in other regions by the 7-87 locus is shown. The high polymorphism level of this locus does not allow revealing discrete alleles describing separate viper populations in the territory under survey.