Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
pit viper
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma). Bushmaster (Lachesis muta). pit viper snake skulls
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.
Animal Factoids
Read Next
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes
Spider monkey swinging in a tree. (primate, jungle animal)
Why Do Animals Have Tails?
Slowworm. Anguis fragilis. Blindworm. Lizard. Anguidae. Close-up of a slowworm's head.
7 Questions About Lizards, Snakes, and Other Reptiles Answered
Female meadow adder snake (Vipera ursinii) Also called meadow viper or Ursini's viper. Reptile venomous poisonous tongue
What’s the Difference Between Venomous and Poisonous?
animal. Amphibian. Frog. Anura. Ranidae. Frog in grass.
Abundant Animals: The Most Numerous Organisms in the World
Discover
New Zealand. Political/Physical map. Includes locator.
Where Is “Old Zealand”?
Horses. Equus caballus. Horse stable. A brown horse looks out from his stall through the window.
Horsing Around: 7 of the Weirdest Racehorse Names in History
Queen Elizabeth II addresses at opening of Parliament. (Date unknown on photo, but may be 1958, the first time the opening of Parliament was filmed.)
All 119 References in “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Explained
Alfred Nobel on a large reproduction of the obverse side of the Nobel Prize medal for Peace on the exterior of Nobel Peace Center opened in Oslo, Norway June 11, 2005 to learn about Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and the history of Alfred Bernhard Nobel.
How Do You Get a Nobel Prize?
Statue of Nostradamus
Nostradamus and His Prophecies
green digital binary symbols
What Comes After Terabyte?
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike

pit viper: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/pit-viper
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As Crotalinae

Photos

Malayan pit viper (Calloselasma rhodostoma).
Bushmaster (Lachesis muta).
pit viper
snake skulls
See All Images →

Related Topics and References

Topics

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
vulture. An adult bearded vulture at a raptor recovery center. The Gypaetus barbatus also known as the Lammergeier or Lammergeyer, is a bird of prey and considered an Old World vulture.
Animal Factoids
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
List
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes