Pit Viper | Snake - Britannica

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External Websites

• Journal of Experimental Biology - Pit viper thermography: the pit organ used by crotaline snakes to detect thermal contrast has poor spatial resolution
• A-Z Animals - Pit Viper Animal Facts
• eprints at IISC - Fangs in the Ghats: Preclinical Insights into the Medical Importance of Pit Vipers from the Western Ghats

pit viper snake Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Crotalinae Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

pit viper, any species of viper (subfamily Crotalinae) that has, in addition to two movable fangs, a heat-sensitive pit organ between each eye and nostril which together help it accurately aim its strike at its warm-blooded prey. Pit vipers are found from deserts to rainforests, primarily in the New World. They may be terrestrial, arboreal, or aquatic. Some species lay eggs; others produce live young. See also bushmaster, copperhead, fer-de-lance, moccasin, rattlesnake.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.