Colubridae

noun

nonvenomous snakes; about two-thirds of all living species

• Syn: ↑family Colubridae

• Hypernyms: ↑reptile family

• Member Holonyms: ↑Serpentes, ↑suborder Serpentes, ↑Ophidia, ↑suborder Ophidia

• Member Meronyms:

↑colubrid snake, ↑colubrid, ↑Carphophis, ↑genus Carphophis, ↑Diadophis, ↑genus Diadophis, ↑Heterodon, ↑genus Heterodon, ↑Phyllorhynchus, ↑genus Phyllorhynchus, ↑Opheodrys, ↑genus Opheodrys, ↑Chlorophis, ↑genus Chlorophis, ↑Coluber, ↑genus Coluber, ↑Masticophis, ↑genus Masticophis, ↑Elaphe, ↑genus Elaphe, ↑Ptyas, ↑genus Ptyas, ↑Arizona, ↑genus Arizona, ↑Pituophis, ↑genus Pituophis, ↑Lampropeltis, ↑genus Lampropeltis, ↑Thamnophis, ↑genus Thamnophis, ↑Tropidoclonion, ↑genus Tropidoclonion, ↑Sonora, ↑genus Sonora, ↑Potamophis, ↑genus Potamophis, ↑Haldea, ↑genus Haldea, ↑Natrix, ↑genus Natrix, ↑Nerodia, ↑genus Nerodia, ↑Storeria, ↑genus Storeria, ↑Chilomeniscus, ↑genus Chilomeniscus, ↑Tantilla, ↑genus Tantilla, ↑Oxybelis, ↑genus Oxybelis, ↑Trimorphodon, ↑genus Trimorphodon, ↑Hypsiglena, ↑genus Hypsiglena, ↑Drymarchon, ↑genus Drymarchon

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\\kəˈlübrəˌdē\ noun plural

Usage: capitalized

Etymology: New Latin, from Colubr-, Coluber, type genus + -idae

1. : a very large cosmopolitan family of nonvenomous terrestrial, arboreal, or sometimes aquatic snakes with aglyphous teeth in both jaws, imbricating scales, and reduced postfrontal bones

2. in some especially former classifications : a more inclusive family in which Colubridae is merged as a subfamily as are also the families Acrochordidae and Dasypeltidae of aglyphous snakes, Boigidae, Elachistodontidae, and Homalopsidae of venomous opisthoglyphous snakes, and sometimes Elapidae and Hydrophidae of venomous proteroglyphous snakes