California Snakes Taxonomy

A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of California	California Snakes Taxonomy

Scientific Name	Common Name	Original Description	Alternate Names

Order Squamata	Scaled Reptiles (Snakes)	Oppel, 1811
Squamata is the largest order of reptiles, made up of lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians, animals distinguished by their skins which bear horny scales or shields which must be periodically shed. Wickipedia - Squamata
Family Boidae	Boas	Gray, 1825
The boidea are a family of nonvenomous snakes found mostly in North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean, that includes some of the world's largest snakes. Males have conspicuous anal spurs on either side of the vent, which are vestigial hind limbs. Prey is killed by constriction. Most species of boas are ovoviparous, with females giving birth to live young. Wickipedia - Boidae
Genus Charina	Rubber Boas	(Gray 1849)
Charina is a genus of boas known as Rubber Boas, found in North America. Wickipeda - Charina
Genus Lichanura	Rosy Boas	Cope, 1861
Lichanura is a genus of snakes distributed across the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, known as the Rosy Boas. Wickipedia - Lichanura
Family Colubridae	Harmless Egg-Laying Snakes	Oppel, 1811
Colubridae is the largest family of snakes, found on every continent except Antarctica. Most colubrids do not have dangerous venom, including those found in North America, though the venom of some species found in Africa and Asia can be deadly. Wickipedia - Colubridae
Genus Arizona	Glossy Snakes	Kennicott, 1859
A genus of colubrid snakes endemic to the United States and Mexico. A mostly nocturnal, relatively slender snake with smooth shiny skin and round pupils. Wickipedia - Arizona
Genus Bogertophis	Desert Ratsnakes	Dowling and Price, 1988
A genus of rat snakes endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Mostly nocturnal with a long slender body with a long head distinct from the neck. Wickipedia - Bogertophis
Genus Chionactis	Shovel-nosed Snakes	Cope, 1860
A genus of small harmless colubrid snakes called Shovel-nosed Snakes. Wickipedia - (Wickiepedia does not recognize the genus Chionactis, and puts them into the genus Sonora)
Genus Coluber	North American Racers, Coachwhips, Whipsnakes	Linnaeus, 1758
A species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to North and Central America, commonly called racers. Fast-moving, highly active, diurnal snakes with a broad head, a slender neck, and large eyes. Some subspecies are good climbers, climbing trees to eat eggs and young birds. Oviparous - the female lays eggs. Wickipedia - Coluber
Genus Contia	Sharp-tailed Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of small, smooth-scaled colubrid snakes endemic to North America commonly called sharp-tailed snakes, characterized by a sharp point at the end of the tail. Wickipedia - Contia
Genus Diadophis	Ring-necked Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of small, harmless, secretive, nocturnal, smooth-scaled colubrid snakes commonly called ring-necked snakes because they are typically marked with a light ring around the neck. Known for their defensive posture with the tail curled up to expose brightly-colored ventral surface. Females lay eggs. Wickipedia - Diadophis
Genus Hypsiglena	North American Nightsnakes	Cope, 1860
A genus of small rear-fanged colubrid snakes, commonly called Night Snakes. Wickipedia - Hypsiglena
Genus Lampropeltis	Kingsnakes and Milksnakes	Fitzinger, 1843
A genus of smooth-scaled colubrid snakes called Kingsnakes and Milksnakes that varies widely in size and color, native to North America. Wickpedia - Kingsnake
Genus Masticophis	Whipsnakes or Coachwhips	Baird & Girard, 1853
A genus of long slender, fast-moving diurnal colubrid snakes endemic to the Americas, commonly called whip snakes or coachwhips. Wickipedia - Masticophis
Genus Nerodia	North American Watersnakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of heavy-bodied, largely-aquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snakes with keeled dorsal scales, and flattened heads with small round-eyed pupils, commonly called Water Snakes. Wickipedia - Nerodia
Genus Phyllorhynchus	Leaf-nosed Snakes	Stejneger, 1890
A genus of small, heavily-bodied colubrid snakes with short shovel-like snouts and an enlarged rostral scale, native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, commonly called Leaf-nosed Snakes. Wickipedia - Phyllorhynchus
Genus Pituophis	Bullsnakes, Pinesnakes, & Gophersnakes	Holbrook, 1842
A genus of large, powerfully-build nonvenomous colubrid snakes with a relatively small head not much larger than the neck, endemic to North America and commonly called Gopher Snakes, Bullsnakes, and Pine Snakes. A modification of the epiglottis allows these snakes to produce a loud hissing sound. Wickipedia - Pituophis
Genus Rhinocheilus	Long-nosed Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of nocturnal, burrowing, colubrid snakes with a long slightly upturned snout, native to the western United States and Mexico, commonly called Long-nosed Snakes. Wickipedia - Rhinocheiulus
Genus Salvadora	Patch-nosed Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of fast-moving, slender, diurnal, colubrid snakes with large eyes and an enlarged rostral scale used for digging into loose soil, native to the western United Sates and Mexico, commonly called Patch-nosed Snakes. Wickipedia - Salvadora
Genus Sonora	North American Groundsnakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of small, harmless, nocturnal colubrid snakes endemic to North America commonly called Ground Snakes. Wickipedia - Sonora
Genus Tantilla	Black-headed, Crowned, & Flat-headed Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
A genus of small colubrid snakes found in the Americas, commonly called Blackhead Snakes, Centipede Snakes, and Flathead Snakes. The diet consists mainly of invertebrates. Wickipedia - Tantilla
Genus Thamnophis	North American Gartersnakes	Fitzinger, 1843
A genus of small to medium-sized colubrid snakes with keeled scales and large round eyes with round pupils, native to North and Central America, commonly called Garter Snakes and Ribbon Snakes. Wickipedia - Garter Snake
Genus Trimorphodon	Lyresnakes	Cope, 1861
Trimorphodon is a genus of mildly venous rear-fanged colubrid snakes, commonly known as Lyre Snakes. Wickipedia - Trimorphodon
Family Elapidae	Elapids	F. Boie, 1827
A family of mostly-venomous snakes characterized by permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth, long slender bodies with smooth scales, a small head covered with large shields, and eyes with round pupils. Wickipedia - Elapidae
Subfamily Hydrophiinae	Seasnakes and Allies	Fitzinger, 1843	Sea Snakes
Hydrophinnae is a subfamily of venomous snakes in the family Elapidae. Wickipedia - Hydrophiinae
Genus Hydrophis	Seasnakes	Latreille ex Sonnini and Latreille, 1801	Formerly in genus Pelamis
Hydrophis is a genus of sea snakes. Wickipedia - Hydrophis
Family Leptotyphlopidae	Threadsnakes	Stejneger, 1891	Blind Snakes
A family of small fossorial blind snakes found in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, with a cylindrical body, a blunt head, a short tail, and smooth shiny cycloid scales. Most, including our California native species, are oviparous - laying eggs that hatch outside the female. Wickipedia - Leptotyphlopidae
Genus Rena	Threadsnakes		Formerly in genus Leptotyphlops
A genus of snakes in the family Leptotyphlopidae that is endemic to the New World. Wickipedia - Rena
Family Typhlopidae	Blindsnakes	Merrem, 1820
A family of blind snakes found mostly in tropical regions with a large rostral scale for burrowing, vestigial eyes which can detect light, and a tail with a horn-like scale at the end. Most species are oviparous, laying eggs that hatch outside the body. Wickipedia - Typhlopidae
Genus Indotyphlops	South Asian Blindsnakes	Hedges, Marion, Lipp, Marin, and Vidal, 2014	Formerly in genus Ramphotyphlops
A genus of snakes endemic to Asia in the family Typhlopidae. Wickipedia - Indotyphlops
Family Viperidae	Vipers	Oppel, 1811	Crotalidae - Pitvipers
A family of venomous snakes with long hinged fangs, found in most of the world excluding Antarctica, Australia and some isolated islands. Most vipers have keeled scales, a heavy body with a short tail, and a triangular-shaped head, and elliptical pupils. Most are ovoviparous - young emerge alive from the female. Wickipedia - Viperidae
Genus Crotalus	Rattlesnakes	Linnaeus, 1758
A genus of venomous pit vipers known as rattlesnakes found only in Northern, Central, and South America, from southern Canada to northern Argentina. Wickipedia - Crotalus

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