Colubridae
Temporal 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 |
Colubridae (from Latin coluber, snake) is a family of snakes. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species,[citation needed] Colubridae is the largest snake family. Colubrid species are found on every continent except Antarctica.[1]
Contents
- 1 Description
- 2 Classification
- 3 References
- 4 External links
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Description
While most colubrids are nonvenomous (or have venom that is not 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, the twig snakes and the Asian genus Rhabdophis have caused human fatalities.[1][2]
Some of the colubrids are described as opisthoglyphous, meaning they have elongated, grooved teeth located in the back of the upper jaw. The opisthoglyphous dentition appears at least two times in the history of snakes.[2] These are unlike those of vipers and elapids, which are located in the front.[1][2]
Classification
The Colubridae are not a natural group, as many are more closely related to other groups, such as elapids, than to each other.[3] This family has classically been a garbage bin taxon for snakes that do not fit elsewhere.[4] 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 - three 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)[citation needed]
- Oreocalamus
- Poecilopholis
- Rhabdops
- Tetralepis
- Thermophis
- Trachischium
References
- ^ a b c Bauer, Aaron M. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 188–195. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
- ^ a b c Bruna Azara, C. 1995. Animales venenosos. Vertebrados terrestres venenosos peligrosos para el ser humano en España. Bol. SEA, 11: 32-40
- ^ Lawson, R; Slowinski, J.B.; Crother, B.I.; Burbrink, F.T. (2005). "Phylogeny of the Colubroidea (Serpentes): New evidence from mitochondrial and nuclear genes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 581–601. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.07.016. PMID 16172004. http://naherpetology.org/pdf_files/400.pdf.
- ^ Fry, B.G.; Vidal, N.; van der Weerd, L.; Kochva, E.; Renjifo, C. (2009). "Evolution and diversification of the Toxicofera reptile venom system". Journal of Proteomics 72: 127–136.
External links
- Data related to Colubridae at Wikispecies
- Colubridae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 23 January 2009.
Snake families
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Chordata • Reptilia • Squamata • Serpentes
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Alethinophidia |
Acrochordidae • Aniliidae • Anomochilidae • Atractaspididae • Boidae • Bolyeriidae • Colubridae • Cylindrophiidae • Elapidae • Loxocemidae • Pythonidae • Tropidophiidae • Uropeltidae • Viperidae • Xenopeltidae
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Scolecophidia |
Anomalepididae • Leptotyphlopidae • Typhlopidae
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