Colubrids

The Colubridae is the largest and most varied family of snakes, making up about two-thirds of all snake species worldwide. These snakes come in many sizes and colours and live in different environments. Most have slender bodies with smooth or ridged scales arranged in neat rows. The family includes both harmless snakes and some with mild venom at the back of their mouths, mainly used to catch their prey. Their head scales usually follow a regular pattern with large, even plates, and most have round pupils, which helps tell them apart from vipers. Colubrids are found on almost every continent except Antarctica. They live in a wide range of places, from deserts and grasslands to forests and wetlands. In Britain, the only native colubrid snakes are the grass snake and the smooth snake. The family’s success is due to their ability to live in many different environments. Some species specialise in hunting rodents, others eat fish, and some focus on invertebrates. Many colubrids are good climbers, while others stay on the ground or live partly in water.