Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Scientific Classification of Snakes (And Various Long, Thin, Legless Non-Snakes)

Class Amphibia

This class has several subclasses.

  • Order Caecilia
    Not snakes.

    No, they aren't people from southern Italy, they are the least studied order of living amphibians (Lissamphibians). Caecilians are legless, occasionally eyeless, elongate, annulated, smooth-skinned, burrowing creatures which resemble earthworms about as much as is possible for a vertebrate. They are restricted to the moist tropics but distributed worldwide (except Australia and Madagascar). They are sometimes referred to as Gymnophionans or Apodans.

    Caecilians are currently classified into six families.
    • Family Rhinatrematidae
    • Family Ichthyophiidae
    • Family Uraeotyphlidae
    • Family Caeciliaidae
    • Family Scolecomorphidae
    • Family Typhlonectidae

Class Reptilia

This class has several subclasses.

  • Subclass Lepidosauria
    This class contains two Orders.
    • Order Rhynchocephalia
      The only living members are two species of Tautarus.
    • Order Squamata
      Lizards, snakes, and amphibians.
      Animal Diversity Web:Order Squamata
      • Suborder Gekkota
        Lizards.
      • (snake)Suborder Serpentes
        Snakes!
        • Superfamily Typhlopoidea (Scolecophidia)
          • Family Anomalepidae
          • Family Typhlopidae
          • Family Leptotyphlopidae (Glauconiidae)
        • Superfamily Henophidia (Boidea)
          • Family Acrochordidae
          • Family Aniliidae (Ilysiidae)
          • Family Boidae
          • Family Bolyeridae
          • Family Loxocemidae
          • Family Tropidophiidae
          • Family Uropeltidae
          • Family Xenopeltidae
        • Superfamily Xenophidia
          • Family Atractaspididae
          • Family Colubridae
          • Family Elapidae
          • Family Hydrophiidae
          • Family Viperidae


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