Colubrid
| Colubridae Fossil range: Oligocene to Recent |
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| Caspian whipsnake, Coluber caspius | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae Oppel, 1811 |
A colubrid (from Latin coluber, snake) is a snake that is a member of the family Colubridae. It is a broad classification of snakes that includes about two thirds of all snake species on earth. Colubrid species are found on every continent, except Antarctica.[1]
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Description
While most colubrids are non-venomous (or have venom that isn't known to be harmful to humans) and are mostly harmless, a few groups, such as genus Boiga, can produce medically significant bites, while the boomslang and the twig snakes have caused human fatalities.[1]
Some colubrids are described as opisthoglyphous, meaning that they have elongated, grooved teeth, located in the back of the upper jaw. These are unlike those of vipers and elapids that are located in the front.[1]
Classification
The Colubridae are not a natural group, as many are more closely related to other groups, such as elapids, than to each other. This family has classically been a garbage bin taxon for snakes that don't fit anywhere else. It is hoped that ongoing research will sort out the relations within this group.
Subfamily Boodontinae
- Bothrolycus
- Bothrophthalmus
- Buhoma (tentatively placed here)
- Chamaelycus
- Dendrolycus
- Dipsina
- Dromophis
- Duberria (tentatively placed here)
- Gonionotophis
- Grayia
- Hormonotus
- Lamprophis
- Lycodonomorphus
- Lycophidion
- Macroprotodon
- Mehelya
- Montaspis (tentatively placed here)
- Pseudaspis
- Pseudoboodon
- Pythonodipsas
- Scaphiophis
Subfamily Calamariinae
- Calamaria
- Calamorhabdium
- Collorhabdium
- Etheridgeum
- Macrocalamus
- Pseudorabdion
- Rabdion
Subfamily Colubrinae - nearly 100 genera
Subfamily Dipsadinae
- Adelphicos
- Amastridium
- Atractus
- Calamodontophis (tentatively placed here)
- Carphophis (tentatively placed here)
- Chersodromus
- Coniophanes
- Contia (tentatively placed here)
- Crisantophis (tentatively placed here)
- Cryophis
- Diadophis (tentatively placed here)
- Diaphorolepsis (tentatively placed here)
- Dipsas
- Echinanthera (tentatively placed here)
- Emmochliophis (tentatively placed here)
- Enuliophis (tentatively placed here)
- Enulius (tentatively placed here)
- Eridiphas
- Geophis
- Gomesophis (tentatively placed here)
- Hydromorphus (tentatively placed here)
- Hypsiglena
- Imantodes
- Leptodeira
- Ninia
- Nothopsis (tentatively placed here)
- Pliocercus
- Pseudoleptodeira
- Pseudotomodon (tentatively placed here)
- Ptychophis (tentatively placed here)
- Rhadinaea
- Rhadinophanes (tentatively placed here)
- Sibon
- Sibynomorphus
- Synophis (tentatively placed here)
- Tachymenis (tentatively placed here)
- Taeniophallus (tentatively placed here)
- Tantalophis (tentatively placed here)
- Thamnodynastes (tentatively placed here)
- Tomodon (tentatively placed here)
- Tretanorhinus
- Trimetopon
- Tropidodipsas
- Urotheca
- Xenopholis (tentatively placed here)
Subfamily Homalopsinae - about 10 genera
Subfamily Natricinae - about 30 genera
Subfamily Pareatinae - 3 genera
Subfamily Psammophiinae
- Hemirhagerrhis
- Malpolon
- Mimophis
- Psammophis
- Psammophylax
- Rhamphiophis
Subfamily Pseudoxenodontinae
- Plagiopholis
- Pseudoxenodon
Subfamily Pseudoxyrhophiinae - about 20 genera
Subfamily Xenodermatinae
- Achalinus
- Fimbrios
- Oxyrhabdium
- Stoliczkaia
- Xenodermus
- Xylophis
Subfamily Xenodontinae - some 55-60 genera
incertae sedis
- Blythia
- Cercaspis
- Cyclocorus
- Elapoidis
- Gongylosoma
- Haplocercus
- Helophis
- Myersophis
- Omoadiphas (recently discovered)
- Oreocalamus
- Poecilopholis
- Rhabdops
- Tetralepis
- Thermophis
- Trachischium
References
External links
- Colubridae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 23 January 2009.
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