Colubrinae


The Colubrinae are a subfamily of snakes within the family Colubridae. It includes numerous genera, and although taxonomic sources often disagree on the exact number, the Reptile Database lists 717 species in 92 genera as of September 2019. It is the second largest subfamily of colubrids, after Dipsadinae. Many of the most commonly known snakes are members of this subfamily, including rat snakes, king snakes, 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 and arboreal groups, but no truly aquatic groups. Some of the most powerful constrictors are members of this group, as are a few snakes that have strong enough venom to kill humans.

Classification

Colubrinae is one of several subfamilies within the family Colubridae, the largest family of snakes. Its phylogeny can be shown in the cladogram 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 names Sonorini, Colubrini, Boigini/Lycodontini, Dispholidini, and Lampropeltini.
Coluber is the type genus of both Colubrinae and Colubridae and the basis for the name Colubroidea, and it is one of only three snake genera named by Carl Linnaeus still in use for a snake today.

List of genera

Aeluroglena Boulenger, 1898Aprosdoketophis Wallach, Lanza & Nistri, 2010Archelaphe Schulz, Böhme & Tillack, 2011Argyrogena Werner, 1924Arizona Kennicott, 1859Bamanophis Schätti & Trape, 2008Bogertophis Dowling & Price, 1988Boiga Fitzinger, 1826Cemophora Cope, 1860Chapinophis Campbell & Smith, 1998Chironius Fitzinger, 1826Coelognathus Fitzinger, 1843Coluber Linnaeus, 1758Colubroelaps Orlov, Kharin (zoologist)|Kharin], Ananjeva, Thien Tao & Quang Truong, 2009Conopsis Günther, 1858Coronella Laurenti, 1768Crotaphopeltis Fitzinger, 1843Dasypeltis Wagler, 1830Dendrophidion Fitzinger, 1843Dipsadoboa Günther, 1858Dispholidus Duvernoy, 1832Dolichophis Gistel, 1868Drymarchon Fitzinger, 1843Drymobius Fitzinger, 1843Drymoluber Amaral, 1929Eirenis Jan, 1862Elachistodon Reinhardt, 1863—subsumed by BoigaElaphe Fitzinger in Wagler, 1833Euprepiophis Fitzinger, 1843Ficimia Gray, 1849Geagras Cope, 1876Gonyosoma Wagler, 1828Gyalopion Cope, 1860Hapsidophrys Fischer, 1856Hemerophis Schätti & Utiger, 2001Hemorrhois Boie, 1826Hierophis Fitzinger, 1843Lampropeltis Fitzinger, 1843Leptodrymus Amaral, 1927Leptophis Bell, 1825Liopeltis Fitzinger, 1843Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826Lytorhynchus Peters, 1862Macroprotodon Guichenot, 1850Masticophis Baird & Girard, 1853Mastigodryas Amaral, 1935Meizodon Fischer, 1856Mopanveldophis Figueroa et al., 2016Muhtarophis Avcı, Ilgaz, Rajabizadeh, Yılmaz, Üzüm, Adriaens, Kumlutaş & Olgun, 2015Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826Oocatochus Helfenberger, 2001Opheodrys Fitzinger, 1843Oreocryptophis Utiger, Schätti & Helfenberger, 2005Orientocoluber Kharin, 2011Oxybelis Wagler, 1830Palusophis Pantherophis Fitzinger, 1843Persiophis Rajabizadeh, Pyron, Nazarov, Poyarkov, Adriaens, & Herrel, 2020Philothamnus Smith, 1840Phrynonax Cope, 1862Phyllorhynchus Stejneger, 1890Pituophis Holbrook, 1842Platyceps Blyth, 1860Pseudelaphe Mertens & Rosenberg, 1943Pseudoficimia Bocourt, 1883Ptyas Fitzinger, 1843Rhamnophis Günther, 1862Rhinobothryum Wagler, 1830Rhinocheilus Baird & Girard, 1853Rhynchocalamus Günther, 1864Salvadora Baird & Girard, 1853Scaphiophis Peters, 1870Scolecophis Fitzinger, 1843Senticolis Campbell & Howell, 1965Simophis Peters, 1860Sonora Baird & Girard, 1843Spalerosophis Jan, 1865Spilotes Wagler, 1830Stegonotus Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854Stenorrhina Duméril, 1853Stichophanes Wang, Messenger, Zhao & Zhu, 2014Symphimus Cope, 1869Sympholis Cope, 1861Tantilla Baird & Girard, 1853Tantillita Smith, 1941Telescopus Wagler, 1830Thelotornis Smith, 1849Thrasops Hallowell, 1857Toxicodryas Hallowell, 1857Trimorphodon Cope, 1861Wallaceophis Mirza, Vyas, Patel & Sanap, 2016Wallophis Werner, 1929Xenelaphis Günther, 1864Xyelodontophis Broadley & Wallach, 2002Yakacoatl Cisneros-Bernal et al., 2025Zamenis 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 Boulenger, 1896.