The Colubrinae are a

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...

of snakes within the family

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date back to the Late Eocene epoch, with earlier origins suspected. C ...

. It includes numerous

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

, and although

taxonomic 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme of classes (a taxonomy) and the allocation ...

sources often disagree on the exact number, 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 dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared ...

lists 717 species in 92 genera as of September 2019. It is the second largest subfamily of colubrids, after

Dipsadinae Dipsadinae is a large subfamily of colubroid snakes, sometimes referred to as a family (Dipsadidae). Species of the subfamily Dipsadinae are found in most of the Americas, including the West Indies, and are most diverse in South America. There a ...

. Many of the most commonly known snakes are members of this subfamily, including

rat snake Rat snakes are members – along with kingsnakes, milk snakes, Oxybelis, vine snakes and indigo snakes – of the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. They are medium to large Constriction, constrictors and are found throughout much o ...

king snake Kingsnakes are colubrid New World members of the genus ''Lampropeltis'', which includes 26 species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. They are nonvenomous and ophiophagous in diet. Description Kingsnakes vary widely in size and ...

s, milk snakes, vine snakes, and indigo snakes.

Distribution

Colubrine snakes are distributed worldwide, with the highest diversity in North America, Asia, northern Africa, and the Middle East. There are relatively few species of colubrine snakes in Europe, South America, Australia, and southern Africa, and none in Madagascar, the Caribbean, or the Pacific Islands.

Description

Colubrine snakes are extremely morphologically and ecologically diverse. Many are terrestrial, and there are specialized

fossorial A fossorial animal () is one that is adapted to digging and which lives primarily (but not solely) underground. Examples of fossorial vertebrates are Mole (animal), moles, badgers, naked mole-rats, meerkats, armadillos, wombats, and mole salamand ...

(e.g. ''

Tantilla ''Tantilla'' is a large genus of harmless New World snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus includes 66 species, which are commonly known as centipede snakes, black-headed snakes, and flathead snakes. Wilson, Larry David (1982). Tanti ...

'') and

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

(e.g. '' Oxybelis'') groups, but no truly aquatic groups. Some of the most powerful constrictors (e.g. ''

Pantherophis ''Pantherophis'' is a genus of nonvenomous colubrid snakes endemic to central and eastern regions of North America. It consists of the North American ratsnakes, the fox snake, foxsnakes, and the cornsnakes. The genus, which contains 10 recognize ...

'', '' Pituophis'', '' Lampropeltis'') are members of this group, as are a few snakes that have strong enough venom to kill humans (i.e. boomslangs 'Dispholidus''">Dispholidus.html" ;"title="'Dispholidus">'Dispholidus''and twigsnakes ['' Thelotornis'']).

Classification

Colubrinae is one of several subfamilies within the family (biology), family

, the largest family of snakes. Its

phylogeny A phylogenetic tree or phylogeny is a graphical representation which shows the evolutionary history between a set of species or Taxon, taxa during a specific time.Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, M ...

can be shown in the

cladogram A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...

below: Within Colubrinae, genera and species seem to make up five distinct radiations that are to varying degrees broadly similar in terms of ecology and geographic distribution, although increased sampling is needed to determine whether all species currently placed in Colubrinae fit into one of these groups. These correspond roughly to the historically recognized

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

names Sonorini, Colubrini, Boigini/Lycodontini, Dispholidini, and Lampropeltini. '' Coluber'' is the type genus of both Colubrinae and

and the basis for the name

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 su ...

, and it is one of only three snake genera named by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

still in use for a snake today.

List of genera

* '' Aeluroglena'' Boulenger, 1898 * '' Aprosdoketophis'' Wallach, Lanza & Nistri, 2010 * '' Archelaphe'' Schulz, Böhme & Tillack, 2011 * '' Argyrogena'' Werner, 1924 * ''

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

'' Kennicott, 1859 * '' Bamanophis'' Schätti & Trape, 2008 * '' Bogertophis'' Dowling & Price, 1988 * '' Boiga'' Fitzinger, 1826 * '' Cemophora'' Cope, 1860 * '' Chapinophis'' Campbell & Smith, 1998 * ''

Chironius ''Chironius'' is a genus of New World colubrid snakes, commonly called sipos (from the Portuguese word ''cipó'' for liana), savanes, or sometimes vine snakes. There are 23 described species in this genus. Species The following 23 species are ...

'' Fitzinger, 1826 * '' Coelognathus'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Coluber''

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the starting point of modern zoologic ...

* '' Colubroelaps'' Orlov, Kharin, Ananjeva, Thien Tao & Quang Truong, 2009 * ''

Conopsis ''Conopsis'' is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus is endemic to Mexico.. Species Six species are recognized as being valid. *'' Conopsis acuta'' - spotted Tolucan earth snake *'' Conopsis amphisticha'' - twin-spotted Toluca ...

'' Günther, 1858 * '' Coronella'' Laurenti, 1768 * '' Crotaphopeltis'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Dasypeltis'' Wagler, 1830 * ''

Dendrophidion ''Dendrophidion'' is a genus of New World colubrid snakes commonly referred to as forest racers. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Dendrophidion'' range from southeastern Mexico to Bolivia. Species The following 15 species are recognized ...

'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Dipsadoboa'' Günther, 1858 * ''

Dispholidus ''Dispholidus'' is a genus of snakes belonging to the family Colubridae.Duvernoy, 1832 * '' Dolichophis'' Gistel, 1868 * '' Drymarchon'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Drymobius'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Drymoluber'' Amaral, 1929 * ''

Eirenis ''Eirenis'' is a genus of Old World snakes in the Family (biology), family Colubridae. Species The genus ''Eirenis'' contains the following 23 described species:The TIGR Reptile Database - Genus Eirenis' *''Eirenis africanus'' - African dwarf ...

'' Jan, 1862 * '' Elachistodon'' Reinhardt, 1863—subsumed by Boiga * '' Elaphe'' Fitzinger ''in'' Wagler, 1833 * '' Euprepiophis'' Fitzinger, 1843 * ''

Ficimia ''Ficimia'' is a genus of colubrid snakes commonly known as hooknose snakes or hook-nosed snakes, which are endemic to North America. There are seven species within the genus. Geographic range Species of ''Ficimia'' are found in Mexico, in the ...

'' Gray, 1849 * '' Geagras'' Cope, 1876 * '' Gonyosoma'' Wagler, 1828 * '' Gyalopion'' Cope, 1860 * '' Hapsidophrys'' Fischer, 1856 * '' Hemerophis'' Schätti & Utiger, 2001 * ''

Hemorrhois ''Hemorrhois'' is a Squamata, squamate genus containing four species of aglyphous (non-Venomous snake, venomous) Ophidia, ophidian Colubridae, colubrid Snake, snakes, commonly referred to as whip-snakes and Asian racers, respectively. Snakes of ...

'' Boie, 1826 * ''

Hierophis ''Hierophis'' is a genus of snake in the family Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from , 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest fossil species of the family date ba ...

'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Lampropeltis'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Leptodrymus'' Amaral, 1927 * '' Leptophis'' Bell, 1825 * '' Liopeltis'' Fitzinger, 1843 * ''

Lycodon ''Lycodon'' is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly known as wolf snakes. The Neo-Latin name ''Lycodon'' is derived from the Greek words λύκος (''lykos'') meaning wolf and οδόν (''odon'') meaning tooth, and refers to the fang-like ant ...

'' Fitzinger, 1826 * '' Lytorhynchus'' Peters, 1862 * '' Macroprotodon'' Guichenot, 1850 * '' Masticophis'' Baird & Girard, 1853 * '' Mastigodryas'' Amaral, 1935 * ''

Meizodon ''Meizodon'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Colubrinae of the Family (biology), family Colubridae. The genus ''Meizodon'' contains five species, all of which are poorly known and are Endemism, endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. Species list ...

'' Fischer, 1856 * '' Mopanveldophis'' Figueroa et al., 2016 * '' Muhtarophis'' Avcı, Ilgaz, Rajabizadeh, Yılmaz, Üzüm, Adriaens, Kumlutaş & Olgun, 2015 * '' Oligodon'' Fitzinger, 1826 * '' Oocatochus'' Helfenberger, 2001 * '' Opheodrys'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Oreocryptophis'' Utiger, Schätti & Helfenberger, 2005 * '' Orientocoluber'' Kharin, 2011 * '' Oxybelis'' Wagler, 1830 * '' Palusophis'' * ''

'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Persiophis'' Rajabizadeh, Pyron, Nazarov, Poyarkov, Adriaens, & Herrel, 2020 * '' Philothamnus'' Smith, 1840 * '' Phrynonax'' Cope, 1862 * ''

Phyllorhynchus ''Phyllorhynchus'' is a genus of snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. Species The genus ''Phyllorhynchus'' contains two species which are recognized as being vali ...

'' Stejneger, 1890 * '' Pituophis'' Holbrook, 1842 * '' Platyceps'' Blyth, 1860 * '' Pseudelaphe'' Mertens & Rosenberg, 1943 * '' Pseudoficimia'' Bocourt, 1883 * ''

Ptyas ''Ptyas'' is a genus of colubrid snakes. This genus is one of several colubrid genera colloquially called " rat snakes" or "ratsnakes". The generic name derives from Ancient Greek πτυάς, meaning " spitter", which referred to a kind of snak ...

'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Rhamnophis'' Günther, 1862 * '' Rhinobothryum'' Wagler, 1830 * '' Rhinocheilus'' Baird & Girard, 1853 * '' Rhynchocalamus'' Günther, 1864 * '' Salvadora'' Baird & Girard, 1853 * '' Scaphiophis'' Peters, 1870 * '' Scolecophis'' Fitzinger, 1843 * '' Senticolis'' Campbell & Howell, 1965 * '' Simophis'' Peters, 1860 * ''

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

'' Baird & Girard, 1843 * '' Spalerosophis'' Jan, 1865 * ''

Spilotes ''Spilotes'' is a genus of snakes in the Family (biology), family Colubridae. The genus is Endemism, endemic to the New World. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Spilotes'' are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America.. Species ...

'' Wagler, 1830 * '' Stegonotus'' Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 * '' Stenorrhina'' Duméril, 1853 * '' Stichophanes'' Wang, Messenger, Zhao & Zhu, 2014 * '' Symphimus'' Cope, 1869 * '' Sympholis'' Cope, 1861 * ''

'' Baird & Girard, 1853 * '' Tantillita'' Smith, 1941 * '' Telescopus'' Wagler, 1830 * '' Thelotornis'' Smith, 1849 * '' Thrasops'' Hallowell, 1857 * '' Toxicodryas'' Hallowell, 1857 * '' Trimorphodon'' Cope, 1861 * '' Wallaceophis'' Mirza, Vyas, Patel & Sanap, 2016 * '' Wallophis'' Werner, 1929 * ''

Xenelaphis ''Xenelaphis'' is a genus of snakes of the family Colubridae,. which are found in Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions ...

'' Günther, 1864 * '' Xyelodontophis'' Broadley & Wallach, 2002 * '' Zamenis'' Wagler, 1830 A group of 4 genera historically placed in Colubrinae have recently been called a separate subfamily, Ahaetuliinae, in a few analyses. These are '' Ahaetulla'' Link, 1807, '' Chrysopelea'' Boie, 1827, '' Dendrelaphis'' Boulenger, 1890, and ''

Dryophiops ''Dryophiops'' is a genus of whip snakes of the family Colubridae, containing two species.. They are arboreal tree snakes, found in forests in Southeast Asia. Taxonomy The genus ''Dryophiops'' contains two species: the type species '' Dryophiops ...

'' Boulenger, 1896.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1303330 Colubrinae Taxa named by Nicolaus Michael Oppel Snake subfamilies