What is unique about a viper snake?
Vipers are known for their extreme fangs, which are long, hollow, hinged and rotatable, according to an article in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. These fangs connect to venom glands located behind the eyes at the back upper part of the jaw.
How long can vipers live?
Gaboon vipers live for about 20 years.
How big does a viper snake get?
Their eyes have vertical pupils, and their scales are keeled. Vipers range in length from less than 25 cm (10 inches) in the Namaqua dwarf viper (Bitis schneideri) of southern Africa to more than 3 metres (10 feet) in the bushmaster (Lachesis muta) of the Amazon basin and Central America.
What can vipers do?
Vipers include some of the deadliest snakes. A viper has a stocky body, a wide head, and long, hinged fangs at the front of its mouth for injecting venom. The venom causes a very painful wound that can be fatal. Vipers target warm-blooded prey, such as rats and mice, and some hunt during the day.
How does a viper give birth?
While other snakes lay eggs and hatch them, Russell’s viper is an ovoviviparous species giving birth to young ones by hatching the eggs internally. The baby snakes moult as soon as they are born and are highly venomous immediately after birth.
How many babies do vipers have?
This means the female produces eggs, but they hatch inside the female and thus she gives birth to live young. This is unusual in the Reptile class of organisms, a feature unique to certain families of the Squamata order. The litter size of the pit vipers varies, but is typically 4 to 5 young.
Do vipers have teeth?
Solenoglyphous Teeth Pit vipers, like rattlesnakes, have very large fangs at the front of the mouth. These fangs are capable of retracting back into the jaw–then flipping out like a switchblade knife to stab into prey.
Do vipers lay eggs?
Typically, vipers are nocturnal and ambush their prey. Compared to many other snakes, vipers often appear rather sluggish. Most are ovoviviparous: the eggs are retained inside the mother’s body, and the young emerge living. However, a few lay eggs in nests.
Where are vipers found?
The true vipers are found throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. One of the most iconic species in this group is the Gaboon viper from Africa. This viper holds the distinction of having the longest fangs of any snake at more than two inches in length. Crotalinae boasts the most species at more than 230.
How deadly is a viper snake?
Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica)
Is a viper snake a predator or a prey?
These lucky snakes have few predators out it the wild. The two main predators for the bush viper are other snakes, or humans. They are sometimes captured for food by humans, but only when they encroach on fishing or agricultural activities.
What is special characteristic makes a snake a Viper?
Found Throughout India
What are some special features of a viper snake?
Habitat of the Viper Snakes. Viper snakes belong to the venomous snake family that is found in almost all the parts of the world except the isolated islands like Antarctica,…