Xenodontinae

Xenodontinae is a subfamily of snakes in the family Colubridae.^[2][3]

Xenodontinae
A xenodontine snake, Xenodon dorbignyi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Subfamily:	Xenodontinae Cope, 1895[1]

Xenodontinae are a highly diverse subfamily of snakes, in which many species may look alike, but are actually very different. Their hemipenial morphology serves as a crucial taxonomic tool for distinguishing genera and species. ^[4]

The subfamily Xenodontinae encompasses a number of rear-fanged (opisthoglyphous), mildly venomous snake genera found in South America and the Caribbean. Members of the subfamily Xenodontinae are by definition closer relatives to the genus Xenodon than they are to the genus Dipsas. Some authors consider Xenodontinae and Dipsadinae to be synonymous. If the two names are used synonymously, then Dipsadinae is the correct name because it is older.^[5]

Genera

• Alsophis (includes Dromicus)
• Apostolepis
• Arrhyton
• Boiruna
• Caaeteboia
• Calamodontophis
• Caraiba (formerly Antillophis)
• Clelia
• Conophis
• Ditaxodon Hoge, 1958
• Drepanoides
• Echinanthera
• Elapomorphus
• Erythrolamprus (includes Liophis and Umbrivaga)
• Gomesophis
• Helicops
• Hydrodynastes
• Hydrops
• Hypsirhynchus (includes Darlingtonia)
• Ialtris
• Lygophis
• Magliophis
• Manolepis
• Mussurana
• Oxyrhopus
• Paikwaophis
• Phalotris
• Philodryas (including Pseudablabes)
• Phimophis
• Pseudalsophis
• Pseudoboa Schneider, 1801
• Pseudoeryx
• Pseudotomodon
• Psomophis
• Ptychophis
• Rhachidelus
• Saphenophis
• Siphlophis
• Tachymenis
• Taeniophallus
• Thamnodynastes
• Tomodon
• Tropidodryas
• Uromacer
• Xenodon (includes Lystrophis and Waglerophis)

When used as a subfamily of Dipsadidae, Xenodontinae does not include genera placed in the subfamily Dipsadinae (e.g. Dipsas, Sibon, Coniophanes, Atractus, Geophis, Hypsiglena, Imantodes, Leptodeira, Ninia, Rhadinaea, Urotheca) nor the North American relict genera (Heterodon, Farancia, Diadophis, Carphophis, Contia), nor the Asian genus Thermophis, because these are too distantly-related to Xenodon.^[2][3]