The genus has a very wide range, being found from North Africa to just within the Arctic Circle, and from Great Britain to Pacific Asia.

The head of the members of this genus is clearly separated from the body, triangular in shape, and in most species covered in small scales.

They can also be found on some islands in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily, Elba and Montecristo), and the United Kingdom.

They can also be found in the Maghreb region of Africa with species living in Morocco (V. monticola) and northern parts of Algeria and Tunisia in the case of V. latastei.

In a study solely involving mice, John Haynes Brown (1973) showed that the LD50 is about 1.2/mg/kg through an IV, 1.5 mg/Kg when injected in the peritoneum (IP), and 2.0 mg/kg when administered subcutaneously (SC).

[3] The oldest species of the genus Vipera is the Early Miocene V. antiqua from Southern Germany.

This species surpassed in size all modern relatives, with a length of nearly 2 m (6 ft 7 in), and was one of the biggest predators of its ecosystem.