pit viper etymology

Etymology:

The term "pit viper" comes from two roots:

• "Pit": Refers to the heat-sensitive pits located between the nostrils and eyes of these snakes.
• "Viper": A general term for venomous snakes, derived from the Latin word "vipera."

Meaning and Origin:

Pit vipers are a group of venomous snakes characterized by the presence of:

• Heat-sensitive pits: These pits are used to detect the body heat of prey, allowing the snakes to hunt in darkness or low-light conditions.
• Retractable fangs: Pit vipers have large, hollow fangs that are folded back when not in use and can be extended forward when attacking.
• Hemotoxic venom: Pit vipers inject a venom that affects the blood, causing tissue damage, swelling, and pain.

Origin:

The earliest known pit vipers are from the fossil record and date back to the Late Cretaceous period (around 100 million years ago). They evolved from a group of snakes that also gave rise to boas and pythons.

Diversity:

Pit vipers are a diverse group, with over 200 recognized species found in:

• North and South America (e.g., rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths)
• Southeast Asia (e.g., vipers, kraits)
• Africa (e.g., Gaboon vipers)

pit viper relate terms

• viper

  Etymology The word viper comes from the Latin word vipera which is derived from the

• adder

  Etymology Old English æddre from Proto Germanic addri from Proto Indo European h₂

• groove

  Etymology The word groove derives from the Old English word grōf meaning a ditch

• lake

  Etymology The word lake originates from the Old English word lagu which is derived

• coke

  Etymology The word coke has two distinct etymologies 1 From Spanish Derived fr

• abyss

  Etymology The word abyss comes from the Greek word ἄβυσσος abyssos which m

• saline

  Etymology The word saline comes from the Latin word salinus which means salty The

• silo

  Etymology The word silo comes from the Latin word sīrus meaning pit for storing g

• scruple

  Etymology Middle English scropele scropil from Old French escrupule escrople from L

• anxious

  Etymology and Meaning of Anxious Etymology The word anxious derives from the Latin