Viper Diversity

Vipers belong to the taxonomic family Viperidae and there are about 350 species arranged in three recognized subfamilies: the Fea’s Vipers (Azemiopinae), the Pitvipers (Crotalinae), and the True Vipers (Viperinae). The Fea’s Viper subfamily contains only two species of vipers in southeastern Asia and are the sister group to pitvipers. Pitvipers are the most diverse viper group with about 250 species distributed in southern Asia and the Americas, their name is due to the heat sensing pit they have in their face. Finally, the true vipers contain about a hundred snake species that inhabit Africa, Europe and Asia. 

Click on the images below to see a photo gallery of representative snakes for each subfamily. Be sure to check back regularly as we will highlight different species on a monthly basis!