Colubroidea is a superfamily of

snake Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more j ...

s in the clade

Colubroides The Colubroides are a clade in the suborder Serpentes (snakes). It contains over 85% of all the extant species of snakes. The largest family is Colubridae, but it also includes at least six other families, at least four of which were once classif ...

that includes

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ev ...

, with some studies splitting Colubridae into multiple families that make up Colubroidea. Historically, Colubroidea also included other

caenophidia The Caenophidia are a derived clade of alethinophidian snakes, which contains over 80% of all the extant species of snakes. The largest family is Colubridae, but it also includes at least seven other families, at least four of which were once cl ...

n snakes such as cobras and vipers, as these snakes form a clade. However these groups are now divided into several distinct, but related, families. Zaher et al. (2009) proposed to redefine Colubroidea for colubrids and related families, while designating

as the group containing vipers and cobras as well as colubroids. The ReptileDatabase considers Colubroidea to be composed of Colubridae and the members of its sister group, Elapoidea, and does not recognize the division of Colubridae into multiple families.

Classification

Phylogeny Families and Subfamilies Usual taxonomy: * Family:

Oppel Oppel is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Oppel (1831–1865), German paleontologist * Dorsum Oppel, a wrinkle ridge in Mare Crisium on the Moon * Kenneth Oppel (born 1967), Canadian author *Nicolaus Michael Oppel (1782� ...

, 1811 ** Subfamily:

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 ...

Günther, 1858 ** Subfamily:

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 ...

Bonaparte, 1838 ** Subfamily: Ahaetullinae Figueroa, McKelvy, Grismer, Bell & Lailvaux, 2016 ** Subfamily: Colubrinae

, 1811 ** Subfamily: Sibynophiinae Dunn, 1928 ** Subfamily: Natricidae Bonaparte, 1838 ** Subfamily: Pseudoxenodontidae McDowell, 1987 ** Subfamily: Xenodontinae Dunn, 1928 ** Subfamily: Dipsadinae Bonaparte, 1838 Alternate taxonomy: *Family: Sibynophiidae Dunn, 1928 * Family: Natricidae Bonaparte, 1838 * Family: Pseudoxenodontidae McDowell, 1987 * 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 ...

Bonaparte, 1838 ** Subfamily: Carphophiinae Zaher et al., 2009 ** Subfamily: Xenodontinae Dunn, 1928 ** Subfamily: Dipsadinae Bonaparte, 1838 * Family:

, 1811 ** Subfamily:

Günther, 1858 ** Subfamily:

Bonaparte, 1838 ** Subfamily: Ahaetullinae Figueroa, McKelvy, Grismer, Bell & Lailvaux, 2016 ** Subfamily: Colubrinae

, 1811 Unknown Genera

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertain ...

''(not currently placed in a family, usually because of the absence of genetic data, but suspected to be colubroids based on morphology)''

Fossil Colubroidea

North America

; Mexico

South America

; Legend * Age - bold is type age ( SALMA) * Formation - bold is

Lagerstätte A Lagerstätte (, from ''Lager'' 'storage, lair' '' Stätte'' 'place'; plural ''Lagerstätten'') is a sedimentary deposit that exhibits extraordinary fossils with exceptional preservation—sometimes including preserved soft tissues. These for ...

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References

Alethinophidia {{Alethinophidia-stub