On the reproductive biology of the transcaucasian gyurza, Macrovipera lebetina obtusa (Dwigubsky, 1832) (Serpentes, Reptilia), in the NortheastERN Caucasus (Dagestan, Russia)

Data on the reproduction of the Transcaucasian viper in Dagestan are presented. The studies were carried out in natural conditions and in captivity. To characterize clutches in nature, five females were captured after the mating period and then kept in a terrarium. The body length of females varied from 865 to 1040 mm. The number of eggs in clutches ranged from 12 to 24. The width of eggs in clutches averaged 36.8 ± 1.35, the diameter, 25.8 ± 0.21 mm, and the weight, 14.9 ± 0.13 g. Incubation in the laboratory conditions lasted 40–45 days. The body length with the tail of the hatched juveniles was 226.5 ± 2.93 mm, the weight, 9.4 ± 0.29 g. A positive correlation was found between the body weight of breeding females and the number of eggs they laid. A comparison of the weight and metric data of Dagestan and Azerbaijani individuals was carried out.