Pertaining to asps or vipers; of or pertaining to an asp; snaky.

They are part of the Viperidae family, that includes vipers, rattlesnakes, and moccasins.

This family contains about 180 species of medium-sized highly venomous snakes (Serpentes) and are typically terrestrial, nocturnal, feed on small mammals, and a few species are arboreal or fossorial [adapted for digging or burrowing].

They reproduce via oviparous or ovoviviparous.