List of Serpentes families

Taxobox
name = Snakes
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
subordo_authority = Linnaeus, 1758

This is an overview of the suborder Serpentes, its two infraorders (subdivisions) and the families they contain. This is the group of reptiles commonly known as snakes.

Taxonomy

There are two infraorders of living snakes: Alethinophidia and Scolecophidia. This separation is based on primarily on morphological characteristics between family groups, but more recently, mitochondrial DNA.

As with most taxonomic classifications, there are many different interpretations of the evolutionary relationships. These include moving of families to different infraorders, merging or splitting of the infraorders and merging and splitting of the families. For instance, many sources classify Boidae and Pythonidae as the same family, or keep others, such as Elapidae and Hydrophiidae, separate for practical reasons despite their extremely close relation.

ee also

* List of snakes -- Overview of all snake families and genera.
* List of Lacertilia families, lizards.
* List of Anuran families, frogs.

References

*
* [http://www.reptile-database.org/db-info/taxa.html#Ser Suborder Ophidia (Serpentes) - Snakes (phylogeny)] at [http://www.reptile-database.org/ New Reptile Database] . Accessed 4 August 2007.