Vipers are extremely poisonous snakes. They have venom that causes extreme pain, swelling, tissue death and internal bleeding. Their venom prevents blood from clotting properly. Vipers found in South America and Africa are generally more poisonous than vipers found in other parts of the world.
The saw-scaled viper may be the world’s deadliest snake, responsible for more human deaths than all other snake species combined. Its venom kills less than 10 percent of untreated bite victims. But the snake bites quickly and often. Most venomous snakes rarely bite humans or inject much venom. The saw-scaled viper is an exception. It’s aggressive and hard to spot.
Vipers have long, hinged fangs to inject their venom deeply. This causes a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, leading to paralysis and death. The eastern diamondback rattlesnake is the most venomous snake in North America. Most vipers are carnivores, eating birds, eggs, rodents and small mammals.
The gaboon viper has the longest fangs of any snake, measuring up to 2 inches long. Vipers can kill humans in as little as 10 minutes if enough venom is injected. The venom prevents blood from clotting and causes organ failure. Only anti-venom can save most human victims.
What makes a snake a viper?
Vipers or Viperidae are venomous snakes with hollow fangs that rotate down. The head is triangular. When striking, the jaws open to insure the fangs penetrate.
Vipers have a stocky body, a wide head, long fangs to inject venom which can be fatal. Some hunt during the day.
The snake spirit animal means increased energy, transitions, change, and healing.
Snakes lack limbs. Scales allow slithering without tearing skin and act as anchors. Vipers have a pair of long, venom-injecting fangs on movable upper jaw bones folded back when not used. Their eyes have vertical pupils; their scales are keeled.
While other snakes lay eggs, the Russell’s viper hatch eggs internally. The babies are venomous immediately.
Vipers have long hollow venom-injecting fangs on movable upper jaw bones folded back when not used. Their eyes have vertical pupils; their scales are keeled.
A viper is a poisonous snake with a stocky body and wide head. A viper is a type of snake.
Cobras are venomous but not vipers. The king cobra is not a viper. In Sanskrit, a nāgá is a snake and cobra.
Therefore vipers are not all snakes. Colubridae and Viperidae are snake families, with vipers a subgroup. Understanding taxonomy is important.
Vipers have triangular heads and are wider. These help inject venom and provide space for long fangs. Most are distinguished by eye color from black to white.
What does a viper means?
A viper is a certain poisonous snake. Vipers found most places on earth. The viper family has over 200 species. Vipers have pits on their faces detecting heat from prey. “Viper” describes a spiteful, disloyal or back-stabbing person.
Where are viper snakes found?
The viper snake is one of over 200 species that belong to the family Viperidae. Vipers are found all over the world, except Antarctica, Australia, north of the Arctic Circle, New Zealand, Madagascar, and some island clusters as Hawaii. All vipers have long, hinged fangs. The fangs allow them to penetrate and inject venom into prey.
Vipers live in desert to forest habitats of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Many are terrestrial, like the European viper, or common adder, and the Gaboon viper. Some species lay eggs; others produce live young. Tree vipers, like Matilda’s horned viper of Tanzania, are slender, arboreal, and prehensile-tailed.
The cottonmouth or water moccasin, is a venomous viper species found in swamps and marshes of North America. It is comfortable on land and in water, hunting for fish and amphibians. Most vipers live in tropics, but some in cooler climates. The European common adder, or European viper, is widely distributed across Europe and Asia. It ranges north of Arctic Circle in Norway, growing to 85 cm long.
Vipers usually have keeled scales, a stocky build with a short tail, and vertically elliptical pupils. The pupils can open to cover most of the eye or close almost completely. This helps them see in varying light levels. Though aggressive, vipers can inject small venom doses into small prey, conserving their supply. With hollow fangs and rotatable jaws, vipers can strike fast, penetrating deep with their venom. The toxicity depends on factors like species and prey size. Vipers serve vital roles in ecosystems globally.