Lamprophiinae is a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

of lamprophiid snakes, a large group of mostly African snakes, most of which were formerly classified as colubrids but which we now know are actually more closely related to

elapids Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids ; grc, ἔλλοψ ''éllops'' "sea-fish") is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydoceph ...

. Lamprophiine snakes are small to medium-sized snakes, several of which use constriction to subdue their prey. In general we know little about their ecology in the wild. The best-known lamprophiines are probably the genera ''

Boaedon ''Boaedon'' is a genus of African lamprophiids consisting of the "brown" house snakes. The genus was originally described by Duméril but the species contained were reclassified as Lamprophis by Fitzinger in 1843, this taxonomy remained widely ...

'' and ''

Lamprophis ''Lamprophis'' is a genus of medium-sized, nonvenomous snakes commonly referred to as African house snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. Description Species of ''Lamprophis'' exhibit a wide variety of pattern variation, and may be spotted, strip ...

'', commonly known as "house snakes". Several species are popular in the pet trade. ''

Chamaelycus ''Chamaelycus'' is a genus of snakes, commonly referred to as banded snakes, in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Central Africa. Species The following three species are recognized as being valid.. www.reptile-database.org. *'' ...

'' and ''

Dendrolycus The Cameroon rainforest snake (''Dendrolycus elapoides'') is a species of snake. It is monotypical of the genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as ...

'' are the most poorly known genera.

Genera

There are currently 78 species in 15 genera placed in Lamprophiinae. * '' Alopecion'' Duméril, 1853 - spotted house snake * ''

'' A.M.C. Duméril,

Bibron Gabriel Bibron (20 October 1805 – 27 March 1848) was a French zoologist and herpetologist. He was born in Paris. The son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hir ...

& A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 (brown house snakes) * '' Bothrolycus'' Günther, 1874 (Günther's black snake) * ''

Bothrophthalmus The red-black striped snake (''Bothrophthalmus lineatus'') is the monotypical member of the genus ''Bothrophthalmus.'' This snake is found in the Sub-Saharan African countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Angola and Guinea. It is a harmless snake ...

'' W. Peters, 1863 (red-black striped snakes) * ''

'' Boulenger, 1919 (African banded snakes) * ''

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, 1956 (Cameroon rainforest snake) * ''

Gonionotophis ''Gonionotophis'' is a genus of snakes, known Common name, commonly as African ground snakes and file snakes, in the Family (biology), family Lamprophiidae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to Central Africa. Species There are three recognized spe ...

'' Boulenger, 1893 (African File Snakes; including the former genus ''Mehelya'') * ''

Gracililima The black file snake (''Gracililima nyassae''), also known commonly as the dwarf file snake or the Nyassa file snake, is a species of snake in the subfamily Lamprophiinae of the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to Africa. Taxonomy ...

'' Broadley, Tolley, Conradie, Wishart, Trape, Burger, Kusamba, Zassi-Boulou & Greenbaum, 2018 (black file snake) * ''

Hormonotus ''Hormonotus'' is a genus of snakes. At present, this genus is monotypic, as there is only one commonly accepted species in it, ''Hormonotus modestus'', commonly known as the Uganda house snake or yellow forest snake. It is widespread in tropica ...

'' Hallowell, 1857 (yellow forest snake) * ''

Inyoka ''Inyoka'' is a monotypic genus of southern African snakes. The word "inyoka" means "snake" in Zulu, Xhosa, Swahili, Shona and other African languages. These snakes were previously grouped in the genus ''Lamprophis'' but were found to be ...

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Branch A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk (botany), trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term '' ...

, Broadley, Barker & Villet, 2011 (Swazi rock snake) * ''

'' Fitzinger, 1843 (dwarf house snakes) * '' Limaformosa'' Broadley, Tolley, Conradie, Wishart, Trape, Burger, Kusamba, Zassi-Boulou, & Greenbaum, 2018(African file snakes; including the former genus ''Mehelya'') * ''

Lycodonomorphus ''Lycodonomorphus'' is a genus of snakes commonly referred to as African water snakes. They are small, nonvenomous snakes, with all members being endemic to Africa, especially Tanzania. Species The following nine species are recognized as being ...

'' Fitzinger, 1843 (African water snakes) * ''

Lycophidion ''Lycophidion'' is a genus of nonvenomous lamprophiid snakes commonly referred to as the wolf snakes. there are 23 recognized species in the genus. Description and behavior Wolf snakes are small snakes which forage at night for sleeping lizard ...

'' Fitzinger, 1843 (African wolf snakes) * ''

Pseudoboodon ''Pseudoboodon'' is a genus of snakes in the family Lamprophiidae. The genus is endemic to Africa.. Species Five species are recognized as being valid. *'' Pseudoboodon abyssinicus'' Mocquard, 1906 - Abyssinian house snake *'' Pseudoboodon boe ...

'' Peracca, 1897 (Ethiopian mountain snakes)

References

Colubrids Tetrapod subfamilies Taxa named by Leopold Fitzinger {{Colubrids-stub