Snakes Part 3
Herpetoculture
Pensacola Jr College
Classification
w Class Reptilia
w Order Squamata
w Suborder Serpentes
Family Pythonidae
Family Boidae
Family Typhlopidae
Family Colubridae
Family Elapidae
Family Viperidae
Advanced Snake
Forms
w No vestigial pelvic bones or
spurs
w No coronoid bone in lower
jaw
w Right lung only
w Distinct arrangement of head
scutes
Family Colubridae
= colubrid (harmless) snakes,
1562 species with high diversity of form
Family Colubridae
w Range: all continents except
Antarctica (wide-ranging)
w Physical characteristics:
Advanced snake form
Pupil usually round
Low or no toxicity venom and
no fangs for injection
w Habitat: wide variation in
types and lifestyles
Family Colubridae
w Feeding: wide variation
(vertebrates, insects, eggs, snails, fish)
w Oviparous, ovoviviparous, or
viviparous
True placentas in NW garters
Only parental care is egg
defense by some mud snakes
Common Garter
Snake
Aquatic Garter
Snake
Coachwhip
Hognose Snake
Milk Snake
Eastern Worm Snake
Arizona Glossy
Snake
Baja CA Mountain
Kingsnake
Black Kingsnake
Whipsnake
Racer
Black Rat Snake
Cornsnake
Ground Snake
Gopher Snake
Northern Pine
Snake
Ringneck Snake
Northern Water
Snake
Rough Green Snake
Smooth Green Snake
eggs hatching
Egg-eating Snake
Boomslang
(rear-fanged)
Vine Snake
(rear-fanged)
Parrot Snake
(rear-fanged)
Tentacled Snake
(rear-fanged)
Family Elapidae =
front-fanged snakes,
236 species
Family Elapidae
w Range: all continents except
Europe (mostly tropics / subtropics) plus oceans
w Physical characteristics:
Advanced snake form
Short tubular fixed hollow
fangs on maxilla
Other teeth behind fangs on
maxilla
Family Elapidae
w Venom = quick acting
neurotoxins
w Habitat: mainly forest,
grasslands, and shallow saltwater
w Terrestrial or aquatic
Family Elapidae
w Feeding: mostly vertebrates
(some specialists), killed by injection of potent neurotoxins and hang on
w Reproduction:
Land and fw forms mostly
oviparous
Some cobras guard eggs
Sea snakes are live-bearers
Amazonian Coral
Snake
Banded Egyptian
Cobra
Black-necked Cobra
Indian Spectacled
Cobra
King Cobra
King Cobra female
Mamba
Tiger Snake
Taipan
Death Adder
Banded Krait
Yellow-bellied
Seasnake
Family Viperidae =
vipers
187 species with low diversity of form
Family Viperidae
w Range: all continents except
Australia (wide-ranging)
w Physical characteristics:
Advanced snake form
Pupil vertically elliptical
Single long pair hollow
fangs rotate on very short maxilla
Wide triangle head shape due
to venom glands and muscles
Family Viperidae
w Pit vipers in this family
have deep pit between nostril and eye on each side (heat sensitive nerve
endings)
w Venom = slow-acting
hemotoxins
w Habitat: wide range of land
and freshwater habitats
Family Viperidae
w Mostly terrestrial (a few
arboreal or semi-aquatic)
w Feeding: vertebrates, killed
by hemotoxin injection and release then find prey
w Mostly ovoviviparous
Horned Adder
European Viper
Horned Sand Viper
African Tree Viper
Eyelash Viper
Gaboon Viper
Fer-de-lance
Amazonian
Bushmaster
Eastern
Diamondback
Aruba Island
Rattlesnake
Banded Rock
Rattlesnake
Black-tailed
rattlesnake
Canebreak
Rattlesnake
Mexican Pygmy
Rattlesnake
Sidewinder
Banded Copperhead
Eastern
Cottonmouth