Quick facts for kids Colubrids |
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| Caspian whipsnake Coluber (Dolichophis) caspius |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Subclass: | Diapsida |
| Superorder: | Lepidosauria |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Infraorder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
A colubrid (from Latin coluber, snake) is a snake that is a member of the Colubridae "family". Colubridae is the largest snake family, and includes about two-thirds of all known living snake species. However, The Colubrids are certainly not a natural group, and many are more closely related to other groups, such as elapids, than to each other. This family has classically been a dumping ground for snakes that do not fit anywhere else. There is on-going mitochondrial DNA research which will sort out the familial relations within this group.
A colubrid's body is almost completely covered in scales. Most colubrids are not venomous and are normally harmless. A few groups, such as genus Boiga, can produce medically significant bites. In addition, the Boomslang and African twig snake have both caused human fatalities. The venom-injecting fangs associated with venomous colubrids are almost always in the back of the mouth, in contrast to vipers and elapids.
Selected species
- Boomslang
- Brown tree snake
- Dice snake
- Garter snake
- Kingsnake
- Rat snake
- Smooth snake
- Water snake
- Mussurana
Images for kids
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Dolichophis jugularis prey on Sheltopusik
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Dendrelaphis chairecacos
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Small Colubrid snake from West Andes of Colombia
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The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) colubrid snake native to eastern and northern coastal Australia, Papua New Guinea, and a large number of islands in northwestern Melanesia
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The colubrid Telescopus semiannulatus in an acacia, central Tanzania
