Their perceived sluggishness impacts their hunting tactics. For example, Africa's puff adder can strike at a speed of a quarter of a second, according to Perry's Bridge Reptile Park in South Africa. Nevertheless, vipers have a speedy strike. They are more inclined to blend in with the surrounding brush, rocks or ground cover when being approached by a predator than to slither away. This is because many vipers rely on their camouflage for protection rather than their ability to move quickly. They often appear sluggish compared to other snakes, according to Nicolae Sfetcu (opens in new tab), author of " Reptiles: Crocodiles, Alligators, Lizards, Snakes, Turtles (opens in new tab)" (Lulu Press, 2011). They live in mountains, rainforests, fields and deserts. Vipers' habitats vary across their nearly worldwide range. Dry bites enable vipers to conserve their previous venom, which can run out and takes a while to replenish, according to an article in the journal Tropical and Geographical Medicine. This is known as a dry bite and is common in human snakebites.
Vipers can extend their fangs and bite without injecting venom. This allows their fangs to grow relatively long, according to Andrew Solway, author of " Deadly Snakes (opens in new tab)" (Heinemann-Raintree, 2005). When not in use, vipers’ hinged fangs fold up and lie against the roof of the snake’s mouth. Their mouths can open nearly 180 degrees so the ability to rotate their fangs within that space is an advantage. Vipers can rotate their fangs together or independently, which allows them to wait until the last second to erect their fangs. Venom travels down through the follow teeth to be injected into prey as the viper bites. These fangs connect to venom glands located behind the eyes at the back upper part of the jaw. Vipers are known for their extreme fangs, which are long, hollow, hinged and rotatable, according to an article in the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Additionally, most vipers have keeled scales, vertically elliptical pupils and coloring and patterns that serve as camouflage. Some nonvenomous species have evolved a similarly shaped head in order to potentially trick predators into thinking they are vipers. This head shape is due to the placement of their large venom glands in the mouth.
Almost all vipers have a distinctive triangular head, according to Discover magazine.
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