:''Common names: advanced snakes.'' The Alethinophidia are an

infraorder Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...

of snakes that includes all snakes other than blind snakes and thread snakes. Snakes have long been grouped into families within Alethinophidia based on their morphology, especially that of their teeth. More modern phylogenetic hypotheses using genetic data support the recognition of 19 extant families (see below), although the taxonomy of alethinophidian snakes has long been debated, and ultimately the decision whether to assign a particular clade to a particular Linnaean rank (such as a superfamily,

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

, or subfamily) is arbitrary.

Etymology

The infraorder name Alethinophidia derives from the two

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

words (), meaning "truthful, genuine", and (), meaning "snake".

Fossil record

Fossils of alethinophidians were found in Cenomanian (Middle

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

) sites of Wadi Milk Formation in Wadi Abu Hashim, Sudan. '' Coniophis'' presents the vertebral morphology similar to modern-day Aniliidae. Two extinct families from the same location, the Anomalophiidae and Russellophiidae, also belong to the Alethinophidia. '' Krebsophis'' is the earliest russellophiid. The family Nigerophiidae includes both aquatic '' Nubianophis'' from Wadi Abu Hashim and '' Nigerophis'' from the Palaeocene of

Niger ) , official_languages = , languages_type = National languagesEoanilius'' (belongs to Aniliidae) appeared in the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

. It is also existed in Oligocene and early

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

Systematics

* Superfamily

Amerophidia The Amerophidia, also known as amerophidian snakes, are a superfamily of snakes that contains two families: Aniliidae (containing a single species, ''Anilius scytale The Aniliidae are a monotypic family created for the monotypic genus ''Ani ...

** Family: Aniliidae Stejneger, 1907—red pipesnake ** Family:

Tropidophiidae The Tropidophiidae, common name dwarf boas or thunder snakes, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found from Mexico and the West Indies south to southeastern Brazil. These are small to medium-sized fossorial snakes, some with beautiful and striking ...

Brongersma, 1951—Caribbean dwarf "boas" or thunder snakes * Superfamily

Booidea The Booidea, also known as booid snakes, are a superfamily of snakes that contains boas (family Boidae) and other closely related boa-like snakes (but not pythons, which are in a separate superfamily called Pythonoidea). As of 2017, Booidea conta ...

** Family:

Boidae The Boidae, commonly known as boas or boids, are a family of nonvenomous snakes primarily found in the Americas, as well as Africa, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific Islands. Boas include some of the world's largest snakes, with the green anacond ...

Gray Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...

, 1825—boas (see article for comments on former families or subfamilies Calabariidae/inae, Sanziniidae/inae, Charinidae/inae, Erycidae/inae, Candoiidae/inae) * Superfamily

Pythonoidea The Pythonoidea, also known as pythonoid snakes, are a superfamily of snakes that contains pythons (family Pythonidae) and other closely related python-like snakes (but not boas, which are in a separate superfamily called Booidea). As of 2022, ...

** Family:

Pythonidae The Pythonidae, commonly known as pythons, are a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Ten genera and 42 species are currently recognized. Distributi ...

Fitzinger, 1826—pythons ** Family: Loxocemidae

Cope The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A c ...

, 1861—Mexican burrowing pythons ** Family: Xenopeltidae Bonaparte, 1845—sunbeam snakes * Superfamily Uropeltoidea ** Family: Uropeltidae Müller, 1832—shield-tailed snakes ** Family:

Cylindrophiidae The Cylindrophiidae are a monotypic family of secretive, semifossorial, non-venomous snakes containing the genus ''Cylindrophis'' found in southeastern Asia. These are burrowing snakes and most have a banded pattern on the belly. Currently, thirt ...

Fitzinger, 1843—Asian pipe snakes ** Family: Anomochilidae Cundall, Wallach and Rossman, 1993—dwarf pipe snakes * Family: Bolyeriidae Hoffstetter, 1946—Splitjaw snakes * Family: Xenophidiidae Wallach & Günther, 1998—Spine-jawed snakes * Family: Acrochordidae Bonaparte, 1831—wart or file snakes * Family: Xenodermidae Oppel, 1811—odd-scaled snakes * Family:

Pareidae Pareidae is a small family of snakes found largely in southeast Asia, with an isolated subfamily endemic to southwestern India. It encompasses 42 species in four genera divided into two subfamilies: Pareinae and Xylophiinae. Both families are tho ...

Oppel, 1811—snail-eating snakes * Family:

Viperidae 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 th ...

Oppel, 1811—vipers (including pit vipers) ** Subfamily: Azemiopinae Liem, Marx and Rabb, 1971—Fea's viper ** Subfamily:

Crotalinae The Crotalinae, commonly known as pit vipers,Mehrtens JM (1987). ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . crotaline snakes (from grc, κρόταλον ''krotalon'' castanet), or pit adders, are a subfa ...

Oppel, 1811—pitvipers (including rattlesnakes) ** Subfamily:

Viperinae The Viperinae, or viperines, are a subfamily of vipers endemic to Europe, Asia and Africa. They are distinguished by their lack of the heat-sensing pit organs that characterize their sister group, the subfamily Crotalinae. Currently, 13 gen ...

Oppel, 1811—true vipers * Family: Homalopsidae Günther, 1864—Asian mudsnakes * Superfamily: Elapoidea F. Boie, 1827 (merged with Colubroidea by the

Reptile Database The Reptile Database is a scientific database that collects taxonomic information on all living reptile species (i.e. no fossil species such as dinosaurs). The database focuses on species (as opposed to higher ranks such as families) and has entrie ...

) ** Family: Cyclocoridae Weinell &

Brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model us ...

, 2017—Philippine snakes ** Family:

Elapidae Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids ; grc, ἔλλοψ ''éllops'' "sea-fish") is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus Emydoce ...

F. Boie, 1827—Cobras, coral snakes, mambas, taipans,

sea snakes Sea snakes, or coral reef snakes, are elapid snakes that inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. They belong to two subfamilies, Hydrophiinae and Laticaudinae. Hydrophiinae also includes Australasian terrestrial snakes, wher ...

, and others ** Family: Pseudaspididae

, 1893—mole snake, western keeled snake, and mock vipers ** Family: Prosymnidae Gray, 1849—shovel-snouted snakes ** Family:

Psammophiidae 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'' ...

Dowling, 1967—sand snakes and allies ** Family: Atractaspididae Günther, 1858—African burrowing asps, stiletto snakes, harlequin snakes ** Family: Pseudoxyrhophiidae Dowling, 1975—Malagasy hognose snakes, brook snakes, and allies ** Family: Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843—lamprophiids * Superfamily:

Colubroidea Colubroidea is a superfamily of snakes in the clade Colubroides that includes Colubridae, with some studies splitting Colubridae into multiple families that make up Colubroidea. Historically, Colubroidea also included other caenophidian snakes ...

Oppel, 1811 ** Family: Colubridae Oppel, 1811—colubrids, typical snakes (subfamilies sometimes considered distinct families) *** Subfamily:

Sibynophiinae Sibynophiinae is a small subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Sibynophiidae). This group has also been called Scaphiodontophiinae but since the name Sibynophiinae is older, it has priority. They are commonly called h ...

Dunn, 1928—hinged-teeth snakes *** Subfamily:

Natricinae The Natricinae are a subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Natricidae). The subfamily comprises 37 genera. Members include many very common snake species, such as the European grass snakes, and the North American wa ...

Bonaparte, 1838—keelbacks *** Subfamily: Pseudoxenodontinae McDowell, 1987 *** Subfamily:

Dipsadinae 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

References

External links

Alethinophidia
a
Palaeos
Accessed 14 August 2007. {{Taxonbar, from=Q940396 Cenomanian first appearances Extant Cretaceous first appearances Taxa named by Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás

Etymology

Fossil record

Systematics

See also

References

External links