Viperidae
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| Vipers and Pit Vipers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Crotalinae (Pit Vipers) |
Viperidae (Vipers) is a family of poisonous snakes found all over the world.
Vipers typically have thick bodies with slender tail and their heads are triangular.
Their venom is hemotoxic although some species have both hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom.
They have a highly evolved venom delivery system, with long fangs which can reach deep into the preys body. Their fangs are hinged and lie folded on the roof of their mouths.
Pit vipers have infrared sensing organs which help them find prey whose temperature is different from the surroundings.
They are nocturnal in nature.
Vipers are usually short in length but there is much variation (Bitis schneideri, max. 28 cm total length; Lachesis muta, up to 3.6 m).
The Viperidae family is made up of two subfamilies:
- Crotalinae (Pit Vipers)
- Viperinae (Vipers)