A serological comparison of the populations of the Levantine Viper, Macrovipera lebetina (Linnaeus, 1758) in Cyprus and Southern Turkey

The present study compares the blood-serum proteins of populations of the Levantine viper, Macrovipera lebetina L. from Cyprus and southern Anatolia by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and densitometry analysis methods. There were discernible differences found between the two populations for the blood serum protein features compared. By considering these differences, it is concluded that the southern Anatolian population of Macrovipera lebetina should not be considered as the nominate subspecies M. l. lebetina, which lives in Cyprus.