Snake family · Spine-jawed snakes
Xenophidiidae
Two rare, little-known snakes of Southeast Asia.
About the Xenophidiidae family
Xenophidiidae is a tiny family of poorly known, harmless snakes named for a distinctive spine on the lower jaw. Only a couple of species are recognized, and they are seldom encountered.
- Where they live
- Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia.
- How to recognize one
- Small forest snakes; rarely seen and hard to identify in the field.
- Danger to people
- Harmless, as far as known.
Species (2)
Genera in the Xenophidiidae family
1 genera with two or more species. Open one to read about the group and browse all its snakes.
Keep learning
- What Is a Snake? Anatomy and the BasicsA clear overview of what makes a snake a snake: limbless body plan, anatomy, evolution from lizards, species diversity, and why they are ectothermic.
- How Snakes Move, Hunt, and EatHow snakes move without legs, hunt as ambushers or active foragers, kill by constriction or venom, and swallow prey wider than their head.
- What Do Snakes Eat?All snakes are carnivores. Learn what snakes eat, how diet changes with size and age, how often they feed, and how they hunt and swallow prey.
- Venomous vs Nonvenomous: How to Tell the DifferenceThe folk rules for telling venomous snakes apart, where each one fails, and why location-based identification beats guessing by sight.