Colubridae (/kəˈluːbrɪdiː/, commonly known as colubrids /ˈkɒljʊbrɪdz/, from Latin Coluber, snake) is a family of snakes. With 524 genera and approximately 1,760 species, it is the largest snake family and includes just over 51% of all known living snake species. Colubrid snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica
With these similarities aside, members of the Colubridae family of snakes are incredibly diverse. The colubrid snakes come in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and characteristics. Some colubrids are ground-dwellers while others are almost entirely arboreal. Some are aquatic while others are rarely found near bodies of water. Some primarily eat amphibians and fish, while others eat rodents. Some colubrids (like the kingsnake) eat other snakes, including venomous species.
- They lack a pelvic girdle (making them different from constrictors, etc.)
- They lack a functioning left lung (where only a tiny sac remains)
- With most colubrid snakes, the head is covered by large, plate-like scale
The following is a list of the families included in Colubridae:
