pit viper

pit viper

n.

Any of various venomous snakes of the family Crotalidae, such as a copperhead, rattlesnake, or fer-de-lance, characterized by a small sensory pit below each eye.

---

pit viper

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) 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

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.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

pit viper - New World vipers with hollow fangs and a heat-sensitive pit on each side of the head viper - venomous Old World snakes characterized by hollow venom-conducting fangs in the upper jaw Crotalidae, family Crotalidae - New World vipers: pit vipers Agkistrodon contortrix, copperhead - common coppery brown pit viper of upland eastern United States Agkistrodon piscivorus, cottonmouth, cottonmouth moccasin, water moccasin - venomous semiaquatic snake of swamps in southern United States rattler, rattlesnake - pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken Bothrops atrops, fer-de-lance - large extremely venomous pit viper of Central America and South America