Are there poisonous snakes in Italy?

Italy is home to several poisonous snake species, including the asp viper and the horned viper. Like most snakes, these two viper species are not commonly seen and are likely just as afraid of humans as humans are of them.

Both of these European viper species have what scientists call "true" venom glands, which have a duct that connects to a fang. The vipers are front fanged with a single tubular fang that extends from the its movable jaw bone. The special design of the fangs allow the snakes to keep their fangs folded back until they're ready to use. The slow-moving viper has a distinct head and short tail with vertical pupils.