The polar northern viper mainly eats rodents, but also frogs and lizards. The adult polar northern viper preys on rats, shrews, birds, lizards and frogs. The young polar northern viper mainly eats insects and worms. Food, eating habits change to adults when they grow to 30cm.

The distribution range of the northern viper, from Scandinavia to Central France, which stretches eastward to Russia's Pacific coast, is the only snake to be found within the Arctic Circle. Inhabits a variety of areas, from forests, dunes to swamps. The polar viper is a solitary animal, rarely with other individuals except during mating and hibernation. The activity time is mainly concentrated at sunset. It begins to hibernate between September and October every year, wakes up in spring when the snow does not melt, and hibernates individually or in groups in other animal burrows in winter.