Check List 21(2): 293-298, doi: 10.15560/21.2.293
The first documented record of the Critically Endangered adder Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes, Viperidae) from the German North Frisian Islands (North Sea) and the northernmost record in Germany
expand article infoHarald Ahnelt‡§
‡ First Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria§ University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Corresponding author: Harald Ahnelt ( harald.ahnelt@univie.ac.at )

Academic editor: Ross MacCulloch
© Harald Ahnelt.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Ahnelt H (2025) The first documented record of the Critically Endangered adder Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes, Viperidae) from the German North Frisian Islands (North Sea) and the northernmost record in Germany. Check List 21(2): 293-298. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.2.293
Open Access
Abstract

The German North Frisian Islands are naturally void of snakes. Although there were rumors decades ago that the adder Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758) occurs on these islands, there was no evidence of its presence on any of the islands. In this study the first verified record of V. berus on Sylt, the largest of these islands, is documented. This is also the northernmost record of V. berus for Germany.

Keywords
Europe, island colonization, human‑mediated introduction, Sylt, Viperinae