Pit vipers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pit vipers
Timber rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Viperidae
Subfamily:	Crotalinae Oppel, 1811
Synonyms
Crotalini Oppel, 1811 Crotales Cuvier, 1817 Crotalidae Gay, 1825 Crotaloidae Fitzinger, 1826 Cophiadae Boie, 1827 Crotaloidei Eichwald, 1831 Crotalina Bonaparte, 1831 Bothrophes Fitzinger, 1843 Crotalinae Cope, 1860 Teleuraspides Cope, 1871 Crotalida Strauch, 1873 Bothrophera Garman, 1884 Cophiinae Cope, 1895 Lachesinae Cope, 1900 Lachesinii Smith, Smith & Sawin, 1977 Agkistrodontinii Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1981 Agkistrodontini Hoge & Romano-Hoge, 1983

The Crotalinae, also known as the "pit vipers" or "crotaline snakes", are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Asia and the Americas.

There are 18 genera and 151 species which are currently found: 7 genera and 54 species in the Old World, and 11 genera and 97 species in the New World. They are the only known vipers found in the Americas. Some of the snakes which belong in this group are the rattlesnakes, lanceheads and Asian pitvipers.

Description

Pit vipers range in size from the hump-nosed viper, Hypnale hypnale, which grows to the length of around 30–45 centimetres (12–18 in), to the South American bushmaster, Lachesis muta, which is known to grow to a length of 3.65 metres (12.0 ft), making it the longest venomous snake in the New World. Some pit vipers are arboreal (meaning they live in trees), some are terrestrial (meaning they live on the ground), and one species is even semi-aquatic: the cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus.

Where they live

This subfamily of snakes is found from eastern Europe, eastward through Asia to Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the Americas, they are found from southern Canada, southward to Central America to southern South America. Members of this group are found in deserts and rainforests.

Reproduction

Pit vipers are mainly viviparous, meaning the females give live birth. It is believed that all oviparous Pit vipers guard their eggs. Many young pit vipers have brightly coloured tails which is different to the rest of their body.

Genera

• Moccasins, (Agkistrodon)
• Jumping pitvipers, (Atropoides)
• Palm-pitvipers, (Bothriechis)
• Forest-pitvipers, (Bothriopsis)
• Lanceheads, (Bothrops)
• Malayan pitviper, (Calloselasma)
• Montane pitvipers, (Cerrophidion)
• Rattlesnakes, (Crotalus)
• Hundred-pace pitviper, (Deinagkistrodon)
• Asian moccasins, (Gloydius)
• Hump-nosed pit vipers, (Hypnale)
• Bushmasters, (Lachesis)
• Mexican horned pitvipers, (Ophryacus)
• Mountain pit vipers, (Ovophis)
• Hognose pit vipers, (Porthidium)
• Ground rattlesnakes, (Sistrurus)
• Asian lanceheads, (Trimeresurus)
• Temple vipers, (Tropidolaemus)

See also

In Spanish: Crotalinos para niños