Bu çalışmada Vipera kaznakovi grubunun bir üyesi olan Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana’nın morfolojik karakterleri ve yayılışı araştırılmıştır. Boynuzlu engerek olarak bilinen Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana örnekleri Artvin iline bağlı Murgul ilçesinden yakalanmıştır. Bu engerek oldukça belirgin boynuzu ile yakın ve orta doğudaki engerek türlerinden farklıdır. Kuyruk ucunun sarımsı yeşil olması ile Vipera pontica’ya benzer fakat apical sayısının daha fazla olması ile ondan ayrılır.

The morphological characteristics and distribution of Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana, which is a member of the Vipera kaznakovi group, were studied. The transcaucasian horned viper specimens were captured from Murgul, Artvin, in Turkey. This species differs from all other vipers in the Near and Middle East in respect of its pronounced horn. It is similar to Vipera pontica in the greenish-yellowish tip of the tail, but differs in having more apicals.The first study of zoogeographic and systematic characteristics in Turkish vipers was conducted by Başoğlu (1). Further studies have been carried out by Baran (2), Başoğlu & Baran (3), Tuncer (4), Böhme & Joger (5) and Tok & Kumlutaş (6). The first report of Vipera ammodytes transcaucasianain Turkey was from the vicinity of Borçka, in the provence of Artvin (7). Eiselt & Baran (8) described two viper specimens from Kösedağ, near Zara, in the province of Sivas, as Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana. Nilson & Andren (9) reported this taxon from Ordu, Zonguldak, Adapazarı and Konya. Teynie (10) stated that a specimen caught in the İstanbul area resembled Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana. Tok & Kumlutaş (6) described a specimen of Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana, which was caught in Perşembe (central Black Sea region).