Families of Snakes

Four large families of snakes can clearly be distinguished, although they are harder to arrange and classify than other types of vertebrate. They are: elapids, vipers, colubrids, and the boas. They all belong to the order Squamata (scaled reptiles). This is the most objective and traditional classification of the different kinds of snakes today on planet Earth. Although there are authors and online encyclopedias which created other families of serpents, these are rare snakes as biologists are not sure weather these constitute new families as they have fundamental physical traits by which these slithering reptiles could well be classified within the aforesaid mentioned groups.

Elapids (Elapidae)

The snakes that belong to this family are the most dangerous of them all for the potency of their venom. They have two distinctive features by which they can be distinguished: 1) their pteroglyph fangs, which means that they are erect, grooved fangs located at the front of their mouth as they are curved but constantly erect, not folding back when they close their mouth; their lower jaw has a small hollow space on each side for them to be lodged. 2) Their lethal venom is neurotoxic, which means it affect the nervous system and nerve cells as the victim’s diaphragm and ribs muscles get paralyzed and he is not able to breathe. Cobras (Asia), mambas (Africa), Oxyuranus (taipans of Australia), and coral snakes (American continent and Europe) are the genera that make up this family.

Below, the most dreaded snake in the world; it is an elapid: a king cobra from Southeast Asia (from India to Vietnam)

Vipers (Viperidae)

This family of snakes are the most widely distributed in the world as they are found in all continents, except the Antarctica. They have hollow, retractable fangs and they have cytotoxic and hemotoxic venom, which means it destroys body tissues and red blood cells. This family include four genera: the Crotalus (pit vipers such as all the rattlesnakes ); the Bothrops (yarara and urutu from South and Central America); Azemiops (found in Asia); and Viperinae (viperines whose species are found in Europe, Asia, and Africa).

Below, a well-known species of vipers: a rattlesnake (sub-species: diamondback)

Colubrids (Colubridae)

This family includes more than 200 genera, which are wide-spread in the world, in all continents. Among them are garter snakes, king snakes, and water snakes. Most of them are not venomous as they are harmless, but there is an exception: the genus Boiga, whose members are venomous. However, their fangs are located backward and it is very difficult for them to bite well a large animal, such as humans, may be the fingers. The most well-known Boiga genus are the cat snake species, most of them inhabit the jungles of Southeast Asia.

Boas (Boidae)

All these snakes lack venom glands, neither do they have the typical pair of grooved or hollow fangs, with which other families of snakes inject their venom.  Although they are non-venomous, they do have a series of smaller curved fangs, with which they trap and hold firmly they prey when they swallow it. Other than that, their main characteristics are the fact that they are constrictors and big; they kill by constriction, winding around they prey’s body as they tighten their grip. As a matter of fact, the biggest snake in the world belong to this family, which is the Anaconda of South America. The green anaconda can be found in the jungles of Brazil, Venezuela, and Paraguay.

Other famous genus of this family are the Pythons. Although some biologists and wikipedia classify them as a different family, they really constitute just another genus the Boas family, as they are constrictors and non-venomous, and both can climb and swim well. Pythons inhabit the jungles of Africa and Asia.

By Carlos B. Camacho