What is the family of snakes?
Snakes are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, suborder Serpentes. There are 14 families, but Colubridae, Elapidae, Hydrophidae, Viperidae, Crotalinae, and Viperinae are the families and subfamilies of poisonous snakes (see Figure 3).
Are colubrids venomous?
The Colubridae family is the largest snake family. Many colubrids are technically considered venomous but very few are considered dangerous to humans. Human deaths have been attributed to the boomslang (Dispholidus typus), keel snake (Rhabdophis spp.), and twig snakes (Thelotornis spp.).
What defines a Colubrid?
colubrid, any member of the most common family of snakes, Colubridae, characterized by the complete absence of hind limbs, the absence or considerable reduction of the left lung, and the lack of teeth on the premaxilla and usually having a loose facial structure, relatively few head scales, and ventral scales as wide …
What is the largest Colubrid?
indigo snake, (Drymarchon corais), docile, nonvenomous member of the family Colubridae found from the southeastern United States to Brazil. It is the largest snake in the United States—record length is 2.6 metres (8.5 feet)—and one of the largest of all colubrids.
How did snakes evolve from lizards?
Scientists believe that the lizard-to-snake transition was the result of ecological natural selection and gradual morphogenesis, the biological process that causes an organism to develop into its shape. In this case, the shape was legless and long.
Do snakes have blood?
Although snakes bleed, one cannot expect to draw too much blood from them. They are small in size and do not produce as much blood as mammals do.
What is Proteroglyphous?
proteroglyphous Applied to snakes that have fangs at the front of the maxilla (upper jaw), often with small solid teeth behind. The fangs are hollow and short, as in cobras, mambas, and coral snakes (Elapidae).
Is the king cobra a colubrid?
It has proteroglyph dentition, meaning it has two short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth, which channel venom into the prey. These are behind the usual “nine-plate” arrangement typical of colubrids and elapids, and are unique to the king cobra. The king cobra typically weighs about 6 kg (13 lb).
What is a rear fanged snake?
The majority of venomous snakes fall into a class we call “rear-fanged.” That refers to snakes whose fangs are located in the back of their jaw instead of up front.
Is keeled rat snake poisonous?
Venom Toxicity: These are rat snakes, they have venom in their saliva, but it does not act on humans to cause serious envenomation. These are aglyphs – having no fangs. Ptyas carinatus venom is rich in neurotoxic 3FTx and affects animals they eat, but not humans.
Is a garter snake a Colubrid?
Garter snakes are small colubrid snakes that are not constrictors. They do not pose any dangers to children other than salmonella, which can be carried by any reptile. They are active during the day so they have excellent eye sight which they use along with their keen sense of smell to find and capture prey.