Lachesis is a genus of venomous pit vipers in the family Viperidae. Member species are found in forested areas of the Neotropics. The generic name refers to one of the Three Fates, Lachesis, who determined the length of the thread of life. Four species are currently recognized as being valid.
Rattlesnakes are venomous snakes that form the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae. All rattlesnakes are vipers. Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents.
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may occur. This may result in redness, swelling, and severe pain at the area, which may take up to an hour to appear. Vomiting, blurred vision, tingling of the limbs, and sweating may result. Most bites are on the hands, arms, or legs. Fear following a bite is common with symptoms of a racing heart and feeling faint. The venom may cause bleeding, kidney failure, a severe allergic reaction, tissue death around the bite, or breathing problems. Bites may result in the loss of a limb or other chronic problems or even death.
Cerastes cerastes, commonly known as the Saharan horned viper or the desert horned viper, is a venomous species of viper native to the deserts of Northern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Levant. It is often easily recognized by the presence of a pair of supraocular "horns", although hornless individuals do occur. Three subspecies have been described.
Snake venom is a highly toxic saliva containing zootoxins that facilitates in the immobilization and digestion of prey. This also provides defense against threats. Snake venom is injected by unique fangs during a bite, whereas some species are also able to spit venom.
The Gaboon viper, also called the Gaboon adder, is a viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. It is the largest member of the genus Bitis, and has the longest fangs of any venomous snake – up to 2 inches (5 cm) in length – and the highest venom yield of any snake. No subspecies are recognized.
Russell's viper is a venomous snake in the family Viperidae native to the Indian subcontinent and one of the big four snakes in India. It was described in 1797 by George Shaw and Frederick Polydore Nodder, and named after Patrick Russell, who wrote about it in his 1796 work An account of Indian serpents, collected on the coast of Coromandel.
Bill Haast was the owner and operator, from 1947 until 1984, of the Miami Serpentarium, a tourist attraction south of Miami, Florida, where he entertained customers by performing live venom extraction from snakes. After closing the Serpentarium, he opened the Miami Serpentarium Laboratories, a facility in Punta Gorda, Florida that produced snake venom for medical and research use. Haast extracted venom from venomous snakes from the time he was a boy.
Envenomation is the process by which venom is injected by the bite or sting of a venomous animal.
Bitis is a genus of venomous vipers found in Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. It includes the largest and the smallest vipers in the world. Members are known for their characteristic threat displays that involve inflating and deflating their bodies while hissing and puffing loudly. The type species for this genus is B. arietans, which is also the most widely distributed viper in Africa. Currently, 18 species are recognized.
Lachesis muta, also known as the Southern American bushmaster or Atlantic bushmaster, is a venomous pit viper species found in South America, as well as the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
Atheris squamigera is a venomous viper species endemic to west and central Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine LD50, while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties. There are about 600 venomous snake species in the world.
Deinagkistrodon is a monotypic genus created for the venomous pit viper species, Deinagkistrodon acutus, which is endemic to Southeast Asia. No subspecies are currently recognized.
Echis is a genus of vipers found in the dry regions of Africa, the Middle East, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They have a characteristic threat display, rubbing sections of their body together to produce a "sizzling" warning sound. The name Echis is the Latin transliteration of the Greek word for "viper" (ἔχις). Like all vipers, they are venomous. Their common name is "saw-scaled vipers" and they include some of the species responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths in the world. Twelve species are currently recognized.
Azemiopinae is a monogeneric subfamily created for the genus Azemiops that contains the viper species A. feae and A. kharini. They are commonly known as Fea's vipers. No subspecies are recognized. The first specimen was collected by Italian explorer Leonardo Fea, and was described as a new genus and new species by Boulenger in 1888. Formerly considered to be one of the most primitive vipers, molecular studies have shown that it is the sister taxon to the pit vipers, Crotalinae. It is found in the mountains of Southeast Asia, in China, southeastern Tibet, and Vietnam. Like all other vipers, they are venomous.
Hypnale hypnale is a venomous pit viper species endemic to India and Sri Lanka. Common names include the hump-nosed viper, Merrem's hump-nosed viper and others listed below at § Common names.
The Persian horned viper, known as the Persian horned viper, false horned viper, and by other common names, is a species of vipers endemic to the Middle East and Asia. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
Submerged is a 2000 American direct-to-video action disaster thriller film directed by Fred Olen Ray and starring Coolio and Nicole Eggert. The film follows a group of people who become trapped in a plane underwater after their pilot purposefully crash lands them in the ocean for reasons concerning a missile-destroying satellite that one of the passengers owns.
