The tail is very short: one-seventh to one-ninth of total body length in females, and one-sixth to one-eighth in males.

Dorsally, the snout is flat with distinct and slightly raised sharp margins.

The crown is covered with numerous small and irregular scales of different sizes that are mostly smooth, but sometimes slightly keeled.

[12] The snake which supposedly killed the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra is named by Velleius Paterculus as an asp, and by Martial as a viper.

[13][14] It is native to France, Andorra, north-eastern Spain, extreme south-western Germany in the southern Black Forest, Switzerland, Italy, and north-western Slovenia.

[18][19][needs update] In general, the species is also listed as protected (Appendix III) under the Berne Convention.

It needs warm areas that are exposed to the sun, structured vegetation and comparatively dry soils.

In Italy and France, it is often found in areas with low mountains or hills, notably in limestone regions, but sometimes occurs in lower plains.

[5] Here it can be found on sunny slopes, on scrublands, in glades, in mountain meadows, forest clearings, at the borders of woods, in rubbish dumps and in stone quarries.

[22] Lombardi and Bianco (1974) mention that this species is responsible for 90% of all cases of snakebite in Italy and it is the only potentially lethal snake in Italian mountains.

Stemmler (1971) states that the population in Passwang district, Switzerland have the strongest venom based on studies conducted on mice.

Boquet (1964) reported a daily extraction figure of 9–10 mg.[25] Envenomation symptoms include rapidly spreading acute pain, followed by edema and discoloration.

The venom may also affect glomerular structure, which can lead to death due to renal failure.

[26] Lack of this neurotoxic affect would indicate that fatal cases involving the cardiovascular system are the result of direct muscle injury or reduced oxygen exchange.

On the other hand, Gonzalez (1991) reported that in two cases the victims developed neurotoxic symptoms, including difficulty in breathing and swallowing, as well as paralysis of the bitten limbs.