Colubridae

The Colubridae is a huge family of snakes, with 304 genera, and close to 2,000 species; two-thirds of all known snake species. Colubridae has long been considered a “catch all” family, and many families will probably be separated from it in the future (see Dipsadidae).

Some well known U.S. Colubrids include racers, ratsnakes, kingsnakes, garters, and watersnakes. Colubrids occur worldwide, however, and some are rarely seen and poorly studied.

Some Colubrids are rear-fanged and venomous, with a few species known to have caused human deaths.