Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...

, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica.

Description

While most colubrids are not venomous (or have venom that is not known to be harmful to humans) and are mostly harmless, a few groups, such as genus ''

Boiga ''Boiga'' is a large genus of rear-fanged, mildly venomous snakes, known commonly as cat-eyed snakes or simply cat snakes, in the family Colubridae. Species of the genus ''Boiga'' are native to southeast Asia, India, and Australia, but due to ...

'', can produce medically significant injuries. In addition, the

boomslang The boomslang (, , or ; ''Dispholidus typus'') is a large, highly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. Taxonomy and etymology Its common name means "tree snake" in Afrikaans and Dutch – ''boom'' meaning "tree", and ''slang'' meaning "sna ...

, the twig snakes, and the Asian genus '' Rhabdophis'' have caused human fatalities. Some colubrids are described as opisthoglyphous (often called "rear-fanged"), meaning they have elongated, grooved teeth located in the back of their upper jaws. It is likely that opisthoglyphous dentition evolved many times in the history of snakes and is an evolutionary precursor to the fangs of vipers and elapids, which are located in the front of the mouth.

Classification

In the past, the Colubridae were not a natural group, as many were more closely related to other groups, such as elapids, than to each other. This family was historically used as a " wastebasket taxon" for snakes that do not fit elsewhere. Until recently, colubrids were basically colubroids that were not elapids,

viperids The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs t ...

, or ''

Atractaspis :''Common names: burrowing vipers, burrowing asps, mole vipers,species:Stephen Spawls, Spawls S, William Roy Branch, Branch B (1995). ''The Dangerous Snakes of Africa: Natural History, Species Directory, Venoms and Snakebite''. Ralph Curtis Book ...

''. However, recent research in molecular phylogenetics has stabilized the classification of historically "colubrid" snakes and the family as currently defined is a

monophyletic In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

, although additional research will be necessary to sort out all the relationships within this group. As of May 2018, eight subfamilies are recognized.

Current subfamilies

Sibynophiinae – two genera Natricinae – 36 genera (sometimes given as family Natricidae)

Pseudoxenodontinae Pseudoxenodontinae is a small subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Pseudoxenodontidae). They are found in southern and southeastern Asia, from northeast India to southern China (including Taiwan) and south into Indon ...

– two genera Dipsadinae – 100 genera (sometimes given as family

Dipsadidae Dipsadinae is a large subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Dipsadidae). They are found in most of the Americas, including the West Indies, and are most diverse in South America. There are more than 700 species. Dips ...

)

Grayiinae ''Grayia'' is a genus of snakes, commonly referred to as African water snakes, in the family Colubridae. The genus, which is native to tropical Africa, is the only genus in the colubrid subfamily Grayiinae. ''Grayia'' species are relatively poo ...

– one genus *'' Grayia''

Calamariinae The Calamariinae are a subfamily of colubrid snakes, commonly known as reed snakes, that are found in southern and southeastern Asia. They are most diverse in Indonesia, especially Sumatra and Borneo. The subfamily contains 90 species in seven ge ...

– seven genera

Ahaetuliinae The Ahaetuliinae are a subfamily of the snake family Colubridae that was erected in 2016 and comprises five genera containing 63 species (''Ahaetulla'' 7 species ''Chrysopelea'' species ''Dendrelaphis'' 5 species ''Dryophiops'' speciesand ' ...

– five genera Colubrinae – 94 genera

Former subfamilies

These taxa have been at one time or another classified as part of the Colubridae, but are now either classified as parts of other families, or are no longer accepted because all the species within them have been moved to other (sub)families. *Subfamily

Aparallactinae The Atractaspididae (atractaspidids) are a family of venomous snakes found in Africa and the Middle East, commonly called mole vipers, stiletto snakes, or burrowing asps. Currently, 12 genera are recognized. Description This family includes many ...

(now a subfamily of

Lamprophiidae The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022. Biology Lamprophiids are a very diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. ...

, sometimes combined with

Atractaspidinae The Atractaspididae (atractaspidids) are a family of venomous snakes found in Africa and the Middle East, commonly called mole vipers, stiletto snakes, or burrowing asps. Currently, 12 genera are recognized. Description This family includes many ...

) *Subfamily Boiginae (now part of Colubrinae) *Subfamily

Boodontinae Boodontinae is a subfamily of colubrid snakes. Genera It contains 22 genera. *'' Boaedon'' *'' Bothrolycus'' *'' Bothrophthalmus'' *'' Buhoma'' *'' Chamaelycus'' *''Dendrolycus'' *'' Dipsina'' *'' Dromophis'' *'' Duberria'' *'' Gonionotophis'' ...

(some of which now treated as subfamily

of the new Colubridae, others moved to family

as part of subfamilies

Lamprophiinae Lamprophiinae is a subfamily 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. Lamprophiine snakes are small t ...

Pseudaspidinae Pseudaspididae is a small family (biology), family of Elapoidea, elapoid snakes. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family. They have a disjunct distribution; two ...

and

Pseudoxyrhophiidae The Pseudoxyrhophiidae is a family of elapoid snakes, found mostly in Madagascar. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family. It contains about 22 genera in two s ...

, which are now sometimes treated as families) *Subfamily Dispholidinae (now part of Colubrinae) *Subfamily

Homalopsinae The Homalopsidae are a family of snakes which contains about 28 genera and more than 50 species. They are commonly known as Indo-Australian water snakes, mudsnakes, or bockadams. They are also known as ''ular air'' (lit. "water snake") in Indon ...

(now family

Homalopsidae The Homalopsidae are a family of snakes which contains about 28 genus, genera and more than 50 species. They are commonly known as Indo-Australian water snakes, mudsnakes, or bockadams. They are also known as ''ular air'' (lit. "water snake") in ...

) *Subfamily Lamprophiinae (now a subfamily of Lamprophiidae) *Subfamily Lycodontinae (now part of Colubrinae) *Subfamily Lycophidinae (now part of Lamprophiidae) *Subfamily Pareatinae (now family Pareidae, sometimes incorrectly spelled Pareatidae) *Subfamily Philothamninae (now part of Colubrinae) *Subfamily

Psammophiinae Psammophiidae is a family of elapoid snakes. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct family. Genera It contains 8 genera: * '' Dipsina'' Jan, 1862 * ''Hemirhagerrhis'' ...

(now a subfamily of Lamprophiidae) *Subfamily

Pseudoxyrhophiinae The Pseudoxyrhophiidae is a Family (biology), family of Elapoidea, elapoid Lamprophiidae, snakes, found mostly in Madagascar. They were formerly placed as a subfamily of the Lamprophiidae, but have been more recently identified as a distinct fami ...

(now a subfamily of Lamprophiidae) *Subfamily Xenoderminae (now family

Xenodermidae Xenodermidae is a family of snakes native to East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. All species in the family Xenodermidae are small or moderately sized snakes, never more than but typically less than in total length (including tail). They ...

, sometimes incorrectly spelled Xenodermatidae) *Subfamily

Xenodontinae Xenodontinae is a subfamily of snakes in the family Colubridae. The subfamily Xenodontinae encompasses a number of rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous), mildly venomous snake genera found in South America and the Caribbean. Members of the subfamily ...

(which many authors put in Dipsadinae/

)

Fossil record

The Pliocene (

Blancan The Blancan North American Stage on the geologic timescale is the North American faunal stage according to the North American Land Mammal Ages chronology (NALMA), typically set from 4,750,000 to 1,806,000 years Before Present, BP, a period of .

) fossil record in the Ringold Formation of Adams County, Washington has yielded fossils from a number of colubrids including ''

Elaphe pliocenica ''Elaphe'' is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. ''Elaphe'' is one of the main genera of the rat snakes, which are found in many regions of the northern hemisphere. ''Elaphe'' species are medium to large constrictors by nature. Althoug ...

'', ''

Elaphe vulpina ''Pantherophis vulpinus'', commonly known as the foxsnake or the eastern fox snake, Crother BI (editor) (2008). ''Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico''. Society for the Study of A ...

'', ''

Lampropeltis getulus ''Lampropeltis getula'', commonly known as the eastern kingsnake, Conant R (1975). ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. (First published in 1958). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 42 ...

'', ''

Pituophis catenifer :''Common name: Pacific gopher snake, coast gopher snake, western gopher snake, Wright AH, Wright AA. 1957. ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. 2 volumes. Comstock Publishing Associates. (7th printing, 1985). 1,105 pp. . (''Pit ...

'', a '' Thamnophis'' species, and the extinct genus '' Tauntonophis''.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Psammophids
at Life Is Short, but Snakes Are Long {{Authority control Cenozoic reptiles Extant Oligocene first appearances Snake families Taxa described in 1881 Taxa named by Nicolaus Michael Oppel