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Family: Viperidae (night adders, adders & vipers)
Life >
Eukaryotes
>
Opisthokonta >
Metazoa
(animals) > Bilateria > Deuterostomia >
Chordata >
Craniata > Vertebrata (vertebrates) > Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) >
Teleostomi (teleost fish) > Osteichthyes (bony fish) > Class:
Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish) > Stegocephalia (terrestrial vertebrates) >
Tetrapoda
(four-legged vertebrates) > Reptiliomorpha > Amniota >
Reptilia (reptiles) >
Romeriida > Diapsida > Lepidosauromorpha > Lepidosauria >
Squamata > Serpentes
(snakes)
All Viperidae are characterized by hinged fangs, keeled
scales a triangular shaped head and an ambush hunting strategy. Nearly all have oviviparous reproduction. Of the 224 species,
15 are native to southern
Africa.
Genera native to southern Africa
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