Viperinae
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{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = True Vipers | image = Hugorm-Ravnsholt-Kattehale-040424.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Common European viper, Vipera berus, in Denmark (Ravnsholt) | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Reptilia | ordo = Squamata | subordo = Serpentes | familia = Viperidae | subfamilia = Viperinae | subfamilia_authority = Oppel, 1811 }}
The Viperinae is a group of venomous snakes and a subfamily of the Viperidae. Also referred to as viperines, this subfamily currently consists of 12 genera and 123 species and subspecies. They are found almost everywhere in the Old World where snakes occur, except Madagascar, which is why they are sometimes called the Old World vipers.
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Description
Like the viperids, all true vipers have a pair of relatively long, solenoglyphous (hollow) fangs used to inject venom that is mostly proteotoxic. The head has an obvious triangular shape and eyes have slit-shaped pupils. For more information, see Viperidae.
The distinguishing characteristic of the Viperinae is that they lack the heat-sensing organs, or pits, common to all members of the Crotalinae, that other subfamily the Viperidae which they most closely resemble. Hence, they are often referred to as the pitless vipers or the true vipers.
Adult viperines can be anywhere from 0.2 m to over 2.0 m in length. Most species are ovoviviparous (e.g. Bitis, Atheris, most Echis, most Vipera), although a few are oviparous (e.g. Eristicophis and Pseudocerastes).
Genera
| Genus | Authority | Species | Subsp.* | Common name | Geographic range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adenorhinos | Marx and Rabb, 1965 | 1 | 0 | Uzungwe viper | Southwestern Tanzania |
| Atheris | Cope, 1862 | 12 | 1 | Bush vipers | Equatorial Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast |
| Bitis | Gray, 1842 | 16 | 3 | Puff adders | Africa, Middle East |
| Cerastes | Laurenti, 1768 | 3 | 4 | Desert vipers | Central Africa, North Africa, Middle East |
| Daboia | Gray, 1842 | 1 | 3 | Russell's viper | India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southern China, Taiwan |
| Echis | Merrem, 1820 | 8 | 8 | Saw-scaled vipers | Africa, Middle East, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka |
| Eristicophis | Alcock and Finn, 1897 | 1 | 0 | McMahon's viper | Iran, Afghanistan, Western Pakistan |
| Macrovipera | Reuss, 1927 | 4 | 5 | Large Palearctic vipers | Mediterranean region, Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan |
| Montatheris | Broadley, 1996 | 1 | 0 | Montane viper | Kenya |
| Proatheris | Broadley, 1996 | 1 | 0 | Lowland swamp viper | Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique |
| Pseudocerastes | Boulenger, 1896 | 2 | 0 | Horned vipers | Middle East, Western Pakistan |
| Vipera | Laurenti, 1768 | 27 | 22 | Eurasian vipers | Europe and Asia |
*) Not including the nominotype (typical form).
Closely related groups
Besides the Viperinae, there are three other viperid subfamilies:
- The Azemiopinae, represented by a single species, the Fea's viper (Azemiops feae).
- The Causinae, or night adders.
- The Crotalinae, or pit vipers.
References
- Mehrtens, John M. Living Snakes of the World in Color. New York: Sterling Publishing, 1987. ISBN 080696460X.
- McDiarmid, Roy W., Jonathan A. Campbell, and T'Shaka A. Touré. 1999. Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, vol. 1. The Herpetologists' League, Washington, D.C. xi + 511
- EMBL Reptile Database - Family Viperidae
External links
- Herpbreeder - Macrovipera
- ARKive - images and movies of the Cyclades blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera schweizeri)
- Plumed-Serpent - Desert Scour - The Sand Viper Page
See also
es:Víbora fr:Viperinae it:Viperinae he:צפעונים pl:Żmije sl:Gad