When the viper bites, venom passes down the following teeth and is absorbed into the prey. These fangs attach to venom glands in the back upper part of the mouth, behind the eyes. In addition, most vipers have keeled scales, vertically elliptical eyes, and camouflage coloring and patterns.Īccording to an article published in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, vipers are known for their long, hollow, hinged, and rotatable fangs. Non Venomous animals have developed similar-looking heads to fool predators into believing they're vipers. The location of their large venom glands in the mouth gives them this head shape. According to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web, the longest viper - and the longest venomous snake in the Americas - is the South American Bushmaster (Lachesis muta), which reaches a length of more than 11 feet (335 cm).Īccording to Discover magazine, almost all vipers have a distinctive triangular head. According to National Geographic, they are only about 2 feet (61 centimeters) long. The Mao-Lan pit viper (Protobothrops maolanensis), discovered in China in 2011, is one of the world's tiniest vipers. Vipers come in a number of sizes, but they are both stocky and have short tails. There are a few exceptions, such as the six distinct species of night adders. The majority of viper species are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. The snakes swallow their prey whole until it is dead. This form of hunting protects the snake from any possible harm from the prey species. The viper would inject venom into its prey and then release it, intending for it to die. Vipers use chemical signals to track their prey and then lie in wait before they can ambush it. Tiny rodents, birds, lizards, and eggs are among the prey. Vipers consume a wide range of foods, depending on their size. Unlike the venom of elapid insects, which is neurotoxic and affects the nervous system, viper venom is mainly hemotoxic, meaning it works on the blood. While all animals are toxic, some are more harmful than others. The majority of vipers are camouflaged and blend in with their surroundings. These short, powerful bodies give them more strength to strike and ambush their prey, despite their slow appearance. In contrast to other snakes like cobras and mambas, they have small, stocky legs. Because of the large venom glands found behind their eyes, the Viper Snake head is usually large and triangular in shape. Viper Snakes are present in a wide range of ecosystems, including mountains, deserts, and jungles. Except for Antarctica, Australia, north of the Arctic Circle, New Zealand, Madagascar, and some island clusters like Hawaii, species from this large family can be found all over the world. The Viper Snake belongs to the Viperidae family that has more than 200 species. Download Viper Snake - Characteristics, Types, Facts and FAQs and fuel your curiosity. Now money and location is no more an obstacle in their pursuit of quality education. The students would be happy to know that the content is totally free of cost and doesn’t require any pre registration or signups. Vedantu has enhanced the ease of access of the article by making it accessible through any device regardless of the geographical location of the student. The PDF of the article could be downloaded in PDF format by the students. The subject experts have prepared an article on Viper Snake - Characteristics, Types, Facts and FAQs. Vedantu has come to rescue students to fulfill their needs and bridge the gaps in their learning. Curious students try to research information on the Viper Snake visiting different sources and still do not find much satisfying content on the subject. Viper is one such creature of the animal kingdom that has a lot of features. The wonders of nature and the uniqueness of the animals never fail to attract awe from our young and spirited kids. Students have a natural fascination with the animal kingdom.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |