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Colubrid snakes
Colubridae

Etymology: From coluber, Latin for 'snake'.
Notes: This is the dominant family of snakes in all parts of the world except Australia. Two subfamilies are found in Australia:

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.

The former subfamily Homalopsinae (from homalos and opsis, Greek for 'even' and 'appearance') has been elevated to its own family, Homalopsidae. It contains aquatic and semi-aquatic snakes that are weakly venomous.

Statistics: Reproductive modes:
Oviparous - 7 out of 7 Australian species

Size range:
Smallest Australian species: keelback (Tropidonophis mairii) at 50 cm
Longest Australian species: brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) at up to 200 cm
Number of Australian genera: 5
Number of Australian species: 7
Genera:
Genus name Australian species
Boiga 1
Dendrelaphis 2
Lycodon 1
Stegonotus 2
Tropidonophis 1
5 7
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