What are Pit Vipers?
Pit vipers (Viperids) have a small heat sensor (or pit) on each side of the head between the eye and nostril. This pit is used to locate warm-blooded prey. It acts like an infrared heat detector. However, the pit doesnt accurately tell them the size of their prey. Unfortunately, snakes dont see well at night, and as a result we could be mistaken for prey at night. Three of the four North American poisonous snake species are pit vipers; cottonmouth, rattlesnake and copperhead.
