AROD > Reptiles / Squamata / Colubridae
Colubrid snakes
Colubridae
| Etymology: | From coluber, Latin for 'snake'. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Notes: |
This is the dominant family of snakes in all parts of the world except Australia. Three subfamilies (out of around seven) are found in Australia: Homalopsinae - from homalos and opsis, Greek for 'even' and 'appearance'. Aquatic and semi-aquatic snakes. Weakly venomous. Natricinae - after the Latin natricis, a water snake. Represented only by the non-venomous keelback (Tropidonophis mairii). Natricine snakes are toad eaters, and the keelback is the only Australian snake that can regularly eat the introduced and highly toxic cane toad. Colubrinae - from coluber, Latin for 'snake'. The largest and most diverse group worldwide. Non- or weakly-venomous. |
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| Statistics: |
Reproductive modes:
Oviparous - 7 out of 12 Australian species Live-bearing - 5 out of 12 Australian species Size range: Smallest Australian species: Resetar's mangrove snake (Myron resetari) at 39.5 cm Longest Australian species: common tree snake (Dendrelaphis punctulatus) at up to 200 cm |
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| Number of Australian genera: | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of Australian species: | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Genera: |
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