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There are over 2900 known species of snakes in the world, and they make up fifteen families. In Part 1, we examined Leptotyphlopidae, Boidae, and Viperidae. Today, we'll look at Elapidae and Colubridae.
Dangerous Delinquents
 Elapidae has well over 200 species. All members of this family are venomous, but many aren't a threat to humans. It just so happens, however, that some elapids are the most venomous snakes in the world. This group includes the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), the black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis), and some sea snakes. In contrast to the hinged fangs of vipers, elapids have fixed fangs.
The king cobra is the longest, but not the most massive. venomous snake in the world. King cobras can reach a length of 6.7 m (22 ft); however, most only grow to 4 m (13 ft). When faced with danger, the king cobra will, like most other snakes, attempt to flee. If there is no easy escape, it will flatten its upper body by spreading its ribs to form the very distinctive cobra hood.
 The second-longest venomous snake is the black mamba. Named for the color of the inside of its mouth, the black mamba is actually a brown, olive green, or metallic color. Black mambas can be as long as 4.5 m (14 ft), but average 2.5 m (8 ft). To make up for the fact that it isn't the longest venomous snake, the black mamba is the fastest snake on land and can travel up to 20 km/h (12 mph). It is also extremely aggressive and will not hesitate to strike when threatened.
Continental Colubrids
Colubridae is the largest snake family of all, with over 1,700 species. Colubrids are found on every continent except for Antarctica. There is no common characteristic among all colubrids, however. If a species of snake does not fit into any of the other families, it ends up in Colubridae.
Several Colubridae species are venomous, but only a few species, like the boomslang (Dispholidus typus), are dangerous to humans. Some venomous colubrids are rear-fanged. This distinguishes them from vipers and elapids, whose fangs are at the front of their jaws.
 Colubridae consists of many vaguely-defined subfamilies. Herpetologists continue research in hope of finding distinct relationships among colubrids. Colubrinae is the largest subfamily with almost 100 genera. Elaphe is a genus of non-venomous colubrids found in Asia, Europe, North and Central America.
On a personal note, most of the snakes I have worked with are from this genus, specifically Elaphe guttata (corn snake) and Elaphe obsoleta (rat snake).
That's all for now!
If you have any questions, please ask! I will gladly consider focusing on certain families or species for several blog entries if there are enough requests. But if there aren't any suggestions, then my next entry will be about snake behaviors. I will discuss the use of camouflage, aggressive displays, defense mechanisms and more!
Editor's Note: Click here for Part 1.
Other Blog Entries
New Animal Attractions
Reptiles: A Scaly Introduction
Snakes: They're All Around
Snakes: A Family Affair (Part 1)
Snakes: Clever And Deadly Behaviors
Snakes: Do The Locomotion (Part 1)
Snakes: Do The Locomotion (Part 2)
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Re: Snakes: A Family Affair (Part 2)
