Cave Viper Snake

This five-foot ambush predator strikes once from concealment, then immediately attempts to flee into cracks, loose stone, or rubble if its prey remains standing. It will only fight to the death if cornered or unable to escape.

The cave viper is unnervingly silent. It does not hiss when threatened or attacking - only when content, coiled around a fresh meal, or during mating. In the dark, the absence of sound is often the only warning it has already struck.