24 



Families. 



Chapter IV. 



THE NINE FAMILIES OF SNAKES. 



Snakes are divided into nine Families, which 



in some cases are divided again into Sub-famiUes. 



The FamiHes are as follows (using Prof. 



Boulenger's classification) : — Typhlopidae, Glau- 



conidae, Boidae. Ilysiidae, Uropeltidae, Xenopel- 



between^"^ tidac, Colubridae, Amblycephalidae, Viperidae. 



the Nine I. The Typhlopidue are small cylindrical 



snakes, with short tails ending in a spike. They 

 belong to the lowest order of snakes, and having 

 no ventrals, resemble worms. The extension of 

 their jaws is exceedingly limited, and they have 

 traces of rudimentary hind legs, which, however, 

 are hidden under the skin. 



2. Glauconidae. — There is only one genus in 

 this family. The upper mandible in these snakes 

 greatly overhangs the lower jaw. In other respects 

 they much resemble the Typhlopidae. 



3. Boidae. — This family is closely connected 

 with the Ilysiidae in having traces of rudimentary 

 hind legs, which, in the genus Python are visible in 

 the form of thorn-like projections on each side of 

 the anal. The spurs are also visible in the male 

 Gongylophis. The three genera in the family, 

 Python, Gongylophis, and Eryx, kill their prey by 

 constriction. Although large snakes, their rudi- 

 mentary hind legs and narrow ventrals point to 

 their close connection with the Earth-snakes. 



4. Ilysiidae. — A family of short cylindrical 

 snakes with conical tails, very narrow ventrals, and 

 visible traces of hind legs. 



5. Uropeltidae. — This is a large family, com- 

 posed of burrowing snakes with cylindrical bodies, 



