VIPER, Triplra, a genus of serpents of the" family viperidce (q.v.), having the head depressed, oblong -ovate, somewhat compressed before, and wider behind the eyes; the head covered with shields, the tail with two rows of plates beneath. Some naturalists divide the genus into two: vipira, having one rather large shield in front of the bead, the rest of the bead covered with small shields, and the muzzle more or less recurved; having three shields on the bead larger than the rest, the nose blunt. To the latter section belongs the common viper or adder (V. communis, or Pelias berus), which is found throughout Europe from the n. of Russia to the Mediterranean, and occurs in most parts of England and Scotland. It is not found in Ireland. It seldom attains a length of more than two feet. The head is depressed, and almost oval, slightly widening behind the eyes; the gape as long as the head. Although there are no teeth, except the poison-fangs, in the upper maxillary hones, there is a row of small teeth in the palatine bone on each side. The neck is rather smaller than the back of the head. From the neck, the thickness increases to near the middle of the entire length, and then diminishes to the vent. The tail tapers more rapidly, and ends in a point. The tail varies in the proportion of its length to that of the body, but is generally not more than one-third of the entire length. The smaller shields of the head are in some specimens very symmetrically placed. but irregularly in others. The ground color varies considerably, being in general nearly olive, rich deep brown, or dirty brownish yellow. A mark be tween and rather behind the eyes, a spot on each side of the hinder part of the head, a row of confluent rhomboidal spots running along the upper surface, the whole length of the body and tail, and a row of small irregular triangular spots on each side, are much darker than the ground color, often almost black; and in all varieties of color these markings appear. The under parts are of a lead color. Vipers are sometimes found of color very different from the ordinary kind, which some naturalists have too hastily de scribed as distinct species. Thus, in some parts of England, a black viper is occasionally met with, the ground color of which is a rich black; the characteristic markings visible in particular lights, of a more intense black than the rest. A viper has also been described, but differs little from the ordinary kind. A variety also occurs with the ground color dirty white, the markings jet black. The red viper has the ground color brick-red, the markings rusty brown. It differs, however, from the ordinary kind in other particulars. There are some slight peculiarities in the markings; and the head is broader behind the eyes. The red viper is found in some parts of s. of England.
The viper is the only venomous serpent found in Britain. Its bite is attended with much pain, and other serious consequences; but is seldom, if ever, fatal in Britain, although it is said•to be so in warmer countries. The remedies employed for it are gen
erally the external application of hot olive oil, and the internal use of olive oil and of ammonia, or strong stimulants such as brandy taken in large doses.
The viper inhabits heaths, dry woods, and dry banks. It preys on mice, frogs, small birds, and other small animals, which are killed by its poison-fangs, and swallowed entire. It hybernates during several mouths of the year, when many vipers may often be found entwined together in a torpid state. The poison is at this time inert, or nearly so. The viper is a good swimmer, and may occasionally be seen on lakes, such as loch Lomond, crossing from one island to anc:lier. The young are produced.in the early part of summer, from 12 to 20 or more at a birth. The viper is ovoviviparous, the eggs prob ably bursting in the act of parturition. Their investing membrane is so thin and slight as to be very easily torn. The young viper is coiled up so closely in the egg as almost to appear a solid mass, but the moment it is set free it becomes active, and is ready to throw itself into an attitude of defense. The heat of the mother's body is not for the development of the embryo, as in mammals, but that of the sun is required, and the pregnant female viper may often be found stretched out in the sunshine, more lethargic than in ordinary circumstances.
It has often been alleged that vipers swallow their young, to preserve them from danger—as, indeed, other serpents also are said to do—and there is nothing unreasona ble in the supposition, as the young could live for some time in the stomach of the mother; but evidence is still wanting of the fact. The subject has been discussed, time after time, in publications devoted to natural history, but the original uncertainty still remains. Witnesses evidently truthful assert the fact, but eye-wituesses of the act of swallowing are wanted, the sum offered by Mr. Frank Buckland to whoever will bring a viper with the swallowed young in her stomach, to be by him dissected, never having been claimed. That young vipers issue from the body of a crushed viper, is easily ac counted for, from what has been already stated.
The name viper (Lat. ripera) is supposed to be a contraction of riripara, but the derivation is doubtful. The name adder arose from writing an adder, for a nadder. The Ang.-Sax. is nadre, Old Eng. neddere or eddere, Scot. nether. It is unconnected with poison.
Pliny, Galen, and other ancient writers, ascribe great medicinal virtues to broth made of vipers, and to the flesh of the animal. Vipers entwined together in hiberna tion were supposed to produce the ovum anguinum, to which great virtues were imagined to belong; and snakestanes were at one time quite common in many parts of Britain, sometimes rounded pieces of stone, rather larger than marbles, sometimes glass beads of various forms, which were supposed to cure vipers' bites, and to be otherwise useful.