viper
Sign in to saveVipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. All vipers are venomous, and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs that permit deep envenomation of their prey. Three subfamilies are currently recognized. They are also known as viperids. The name "viper" is derived from the Latin word vipera, -ae, also meaning viper, possibly from vivus ("living") and parere ("to beget"), referring to the trait viviparity (giving live birth) common in vipers like most of the
AI overview
Vipers are a family of venomous snakes found across most of the world, equipped with long, hinged fangs that allow them to inject venom deeply into their prey. They are notable for being venomous and for giving live birth rather than laying eggs, which distinguishes them from many other snake species.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- venomous snake
- Image
- Aspisviper 01.jpg
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Article
13 sectionsContents
- Description
- Geographic range
- Venom
- Behavior
- Prey tracking
- Subfamilies
- Sensory organs
- Heat-sensing pits
- Taxonomy
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. All vipers are venomous, and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs that permit deep envenomation of their prey. Three subfamilies are currently recognized. They are also known as viperids. The name "viper" is derived from the Latin word vipera, -ae, also meaning viper, possibly from vivus ("living") and parere ("to beget"), referring to the trait viviparity (giving live birth) common in vipers like most of the species of Boidae. The earliest known vipers are believed to have diverged from the rest of the clade Caenophidia in the early Eocene.
==Description== thumb|226px|A Crotalus|rattlesnake skull, showing the long fangs used to inject venom