Viper

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/viper

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Viperidae
2. What is the reproduction?Exhibits significant reproductive diversity, with many species employing viviparity or ovoviviparity
3. What makes a viper's fangs special?Viper fangs are long and can rotate forward from a folded position, letting them bite deep and inject venom efficiently.
4. How do vipers give birth?Many vipers are viviparous or ovoviviparous, meaning babies grow inside the mother and are born alive, which keeps them safe from danger.

Maxillary Fangs: The primary venom-injecting teeth of vipers, located on the upper jaw (maxilla) and capable of rotation.
Viviparity: A mode of reproduction where offspring develop inside the mother's body, receiving nourishment and being born live.
Ovoviviparity: A reproductive strategy where eggs develop and hatch inside the mother's body, with the young born live, but without significant placental nourishment.
Eocene Epoch: A geological period spanning approximately 56 to 34 million years ago, characterized by significant global warming and the diversification of mammals.