Vipers are venomous snakes belonging to the family Viperidae, characterized by solenoglyphous dentition with long, hinged maxillary fangs that can rotate to an erect position during envenomation. This family includes true vipers and pit vipers, which possess a heat-sensitive loreal pit organ for infrared detection. Viperid venom is typically rich in proteolytic enzymes, metalloproteinases, and hemotoxins, producing pronounced local tissue damage, coagulopathy, and systemic effects. Members of Viperidae exhibit robust bodies, relatively short tails, and often triangular heads with well-developed venom glands. They occupy diverse habitats across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas and are of significant interest in toxinology, evolutionary biology, and medical herpetology.
Snakes are threatened with extinction in many places around the globe. Disease, often caused by parasites or fungi, is thought to be one of the key factors alongside habitat destruction. Prominent among fungal diseases is ...
Ecology
May 26, 2026
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March's record heat made it the most abnormally warm month in recorded U.S. history, bringing plants into bloom early and coaxing animals out of their winter hiding places ahead of schedule. Among the creatures making an ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 23, 2026
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Draped in a uniform coat of vibrant grass-green and possessing eyes that shimmer like amber, a newly discovered pitviper is the latest hidden jewel to be found in the misty mountains of western Sichuan, China.
Plants & Animals
Apr 22, 2026
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Baby rattlesnake bites are less dangerous than bites from adult rattlesnakes, according to a new study from Loma Linda University that summarizes the origin, transmission, and prevalence of the longstanding myth that baby ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 19, 2026
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A research team led by scientists at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, has completed the most extensive genetic sequencing of a jararaca viper to date. The focus of the study was the genome of the golden lancehead ...
Evolution
Mar 11, 2026
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A newly published study co-authored by University of South Florida alum Louis Coticchio and USF integrative biologist Deby Cassill challenges long-standing assumptions about the brown recluse spider, finding the species is ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 26, 2026
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A recent review of over 312 studies has identified dozens of unique uses of roadkill in scientific research. The review, published in Biology Letters, discusses the advantages of using roadkill instead of live wildlife and ...
Texas is home to more than 100 snake species, including the western diamondback rattlesnake, which was recently documented for the first time in Denton County after being found in a suburban garage.
Plants & Animals
Jan 15, 2026
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