Vipers are snakes belonging to the family Viperidae, made of hundreds of species that can be found in all but the coldest climates. The viper is native to every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. The name comes from the Latin words “vivo” and “pario,” together meaning “live birth.” There are a few species who [...]
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Cobra
The name “cobra” is derived from the Portuguese “cobra capo,” literally “snake hood.” This term can refer to any hooded snake, regardless of taxonomy. Most of these snakes are in the Elapidae family, but because the term is so general almost 300 species fall into this category. Although they’re closely identified with a threatening head [...]
Taipan
Taipans belong to the Oxyuranus genus. Currently, there are three known species of this Australian snake: Inland (Oxyuranus microlepidotus,) Coastal (Oxyuranus scutellatus,) and Central Ranges (Oxyuranus temporalis.) These snakes subsist mainly on rats, followed by birds, lizards and smaller marsupials. Most adults reach a length of 8 or 9 feet (2.5 to 3 meters.) Inland [...]