Viperidae, commonly called vipers, is a family of snakes found in most parts of the world except Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, Ireland and various isolated islands. All members possess venom and distinctive hinged fangs suited for deep envenomation of prey, and the family currently comprises three recognized subfamilies. Scientists believe the earliest vipers diverged during the early Eocene.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Geographic DistributionViperid snakes are found in the Americas, Africa, Eurasia, and South Asia. 1 Defining CharacteristicsAll vipers are venomous, and have long, hinged fangs that permit deep envenomation of their prey. 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceAlmost all vipers have keeled scales, a stocky build with a short tail, and a triangle-shaped head distinct from the neck, owing to the location of the venom glands. 1 Sources
1. Viper (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, first sentence
Vipers ( VEYE-pər) are snakes in the family Viperidae ( veye-PERR-ih-day), found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, Ireland, and various other isolated islands.
Lead section, second sentence
All vipers are venomous, and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs that permit deep envenomation of their prey.
Description section, second paragraph
Almost all vipers have keeled scales, a stocky build with a short tail, and a triangle-shaped head distinct from the neck, owing to the location of the venom glands.
Geographic range section, first sentence
Viperid snakes are found in the Americas, Africa, Eurasia, and South Asia.
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