pit adder

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   Synonym of pit viper

   Synonym of pit viper: any of various venomous snakes of the family Crotalinae, found in Asia and the Americas, with a deep pit or groove on either side of the head which enables them to detect prey by infrared sensing.

   • The two chief poisonous families of the rest of the globe, the vipers (Viperidae) and the pit-adders (Crotalida;), are entirely absent, their place being supplied by the Elapidae, [...]
   • The venom of some snakes, Rogers says, contains a mixture of the above-mentioned venoms (among such snakes are the Australian colubrines and the American pit-adders).
   • There is the pit adder called Habu. This kind is the worst of the three. These snakes are three inches thick and six feet long, and resemble our diamond back rattlers at home.

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