pit viper

noun

1. any of numerous venomous snakes of the family Crotalidae, of the New World, Asia, and the Malay Archipelago, as the rattlesnake, water moccasin, and copperhead, having a heat-sensitive pit on each side of the head between the eye and nostril.

pit viper

noun

1. any venomous snake of the New World family Crotalidae, having a heat-sensitive organ in a pit on each side of the head: includes the rattlesnakes

pit viper

1. Any of various very venomous snakes of the family Crotalidae. Pit vipers are characterized by a triangular head with a small sensory pit below each eye. The pits detect infrared radiation and help the snake locate prey. Some scientists classify the pit vipers as a subfamily Crotalinae within the Viperidae, the family of vipers, rather than as a separate family. Copperheads, rattlesnakes, and fer-de-lances are pit vipers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pit viper¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

“These eyelash pit vipers have been very prized in the international illegal trade of exotic animals,” says Arteaga.

From National Geographic

These rivers and their associated basins also mark the westernmost and easternmost distribution boundaries of the Ayeyarwady pit viper.

From Science Daily

He explained about the warning signs—the rotten-egg stench of sulfur gas, the mudslides, and, of course, the pit vipers.

From Literature

First, he uses a metal hook with an extended handle to snag a five-foot-long pit viper.

From Scientific American

The North American copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix, a type of pit viper.

From National Geographic