Colubridae

/kɑːljuːˈbreɪdi/ noun

Definition

The largest family of snakes, comprising about two-thirds of all snake species worldwide, including rat snakes, garter snakes, and most common non-venomous snakes.

Etymology

From Latin 'coluber' (snake) + '-idae' (the standard suffix for taxonomic families in biology, from Latin '-idae' used by Linnaeus). Established as the family name in the early history of zoological classification.

Kelly Says

The name 'Colubridae' basically means 'the snake family,' and it's the most successful snake family evolutionarily—they adapted to nearly every habitat on Earth, which is why you probably encounter colubrids way more than any other snake.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.