How to Identify Colubridae — Colubrid Snake Family

Colubridae (Colubrid Snake Family) is a animal family in the Animalia kingdom, order , class Squamata. The family contains 540 accepted species worldwide.

Key Identification Features

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Representative Colubridae Species

How to identify Atractus crassicaudatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Atractus crassicaudatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Atractus crassicaudatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Atractus crassicaudatus, the thickhead ground snake, is an endemic colubrid snak…

How to identify Pituophis vertebralis (Blainville, 1835)

Pituophis vertebralis (Blainville, 1835)

Pituophis vertebralis (Blainville, 1835)

Pituophis vertebralis, the Cape gopher snake, is a rare patterned snake endemic …

How to identify Virginia valeriae Baird & Girard, 1853

Virginia valeriae Baird & Girard, 1853

Virginia valeriae Baird & Girard, 1853

Virginia valeriae, the smooth earth snake, is a small fossorial North American s…

How to identify Amphiesma stolatum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Amphiesma stolatum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Amphiesma stolatum (Linnaeus, 1758)

Amphiesma stolatum, the buff striped keelback, is a small diurnal terrestrial sn…

How to identify Lampropeltis zonata (Lockington, 1835)

Lampropeltis zonata (Lockington, 1835)

Lampropeltis zonata (Lockington, 1835)

Lampropeltis zonata, the California mountain kingsnake, is a banded colubrid sna…

How to identify Sibynophis collaris (Gray, 1853)

Sibynophis collaris (Gray, 1853)

Sibynophis collaris (Gray, 1853)

Sibynophis collaris is a collared snake species with defined scale patterns, spe…

How to identify Leptodeira rhombifera Günther, 1872

Leptodeira rhombifera Günther, 1872

Leptodeira rhombifera Günther, 1872

Leptodeira rhombifera is a colubrid snake species native to six Central American…

How to identify Boiga multomaculata (Boie, 1827)

Boiga multomaculata (Boie, 1827)

Boiga multomaculata (Boie, 1827)

Boiga multomaculata is a spotted snake with a documented range across parts of A…

How to identify Lycodon albofuscus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Lycodon albofuscus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Lycodon albofuscus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Lycodon albofuscus, the dark wolf snake, is a colubrid snake found in Asia that …

How to identify Heterodon kennerlyi Kennicott, 1860

Heterodon kennerlyi Kennicott, 1860

Heterodon kennerlyi Kennicott, 1860

Heterodon kennerlyi is an oviparous colubrid snake found across the southwestern…

How to identify Trimorphodon biscutatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Trimorphodon biscutatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Trimorphodon biscutatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854)

Trimorphodon biscutatus is a moderately sized snake with large vertical-pupiled …

How to identify Masticophis taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852)

Masticophis taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852)

Masticophis taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852)

Masticophis taeniatus, the striped whipsnake, is a North American snake found ac…

Browse all 540 Colubridae species →

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you identify Colubridae?

Colubridae animals belong to the order in the Animalia kingdom. The first row of dorsal scales along each side, adjacent to the ventral scales, is yellowish, and each temple has a distinct yellowish blotch. For instant identification, use the iNature app — AI-powered and works offline.

What are the key characteristics of Colubridae?

Colubridae is classified in the order , class Squamata, phylum Chordata. The sides of the head are yellow, and the head tapers to form a distinct neck.

Sources: GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia · Disclaimer

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