Lamprophiidae

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Lepidosauromorpha
Superordo: Lepidosauria
Ordo: Squamata
Cladus: Unidentata, Episquamata
Cladus: Toxicofera
Subordo: Serpentes
Infraordo: Caenophidia
Superfamilia: Elapoidea

Familia: Lamprophiidae
Genera (18): Alopecion – Boaedon – Bofa – Bothrolycus – Bothrophthalmus – Chamaelycus – Dendrolycus – Gonionotophis – Gracililima – Hormonotus – Inyoka – Lamprophis – Limaformosa – Lycodonomorphus – Lycophidion – Mehelya – Montaspis – Pseudoboodon

[source: genera circunscription sensu Zaher et al. (2019) and Broadley et al. (2018)]
Name

Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843
Combinations

Lamprophes Fitzinger, 1843: 25 [original combination (spelling), as familia]
Lamprophisinae — Bourgeois, 1968 [subsequent combination, reduced to subfamilia, incorrect formation]
Lamprophiinae — Dowling et al., 1996 [subsequent combination, as subfamilia, correct formation]
Lamprophiini — Broadley, 1998 [subsequent combination, reduce to tribus]
Lamprophiidae — Kelly et al., 2009: 51 [subsequent combination, restaure to familia]

References
Primary references

Fitzinger, L. 1843. Systema Reptilium. Fasciculus primus. Amblyglossae. Braumüller et Seidel: Wien. vi + 106 pp. BHL Reference page.

Additional references

Vidal, N., Delmas, A.-S., David, P., Cruaud, C., Couloux, A. & Hedges, S.B. 2007. The phylogeny and classification of caenophidian snakes inferred from seven nuclear protein-coding genes. Comptes Rendus Biologies 330(2): 182–187. DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2006.10.001 Full article (PDF). Reference page.
Kelly, C.M.R., Barker, N.P., Villet, M.H. & Broadley, D.G. 2009. Phylogeny, biogeography and classification of the snake superfamily Elapoidea: a rapid radiation in the late Eocene. Cladistics 25(1): 38–63. DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00237.x Paywall Reference page.
Zaher, H., Grazziotin, F.G., Cadle, J.E., Murphy, R.W., Moura-Leite, J.C. & Bonatto, S.L. 2009. Molecular phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes, Caenophidia) with an emphasis on South American xenodontines: a revised classification and descriptions of new taxa. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 49(11): 115–153. DOI: 10.1590/S0031-10492009001100001 Open access Reference page.
Kelly, C.M.R., Branch, W.R., Broadley, D.G., Barker, N.P. & Villet, M.H. 2011. Molecular systematics of the African snake family Lamprophiidae Fitzinger, 1843 (Serpentes: Elapoidea), with particular focus on the genera Lamprophis Fitzinger 1843 and Mehelya Csiki 1903. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58(3): 415–426. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.010 Reference page.
Broadley, D.G.†, Tolley, K.A., Conradie, W., Wishart, S., Trape, J.-F., Burger, M., Kusamba, C., Zassi-Boulou, A.-G. & Greenbaum, E. 2018. A phylogeny and genus-level revision of the African file snakes Gonionotophis Boulenger (Squamata: Lamprophiidae). African Journal of Herpetology 67(1): 43–60. DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2018.1423578 Paywall Reference page.
Zaher, H., Murphy, R.W., Arredondo, J.C., Graboski, R., Machado-Filho, P.R., Mahlow, K., Montingelli, G.G., Quadros, A.B., Orlov, N.L., Wilkinson, M., Zhang, Y.-P. & Grazziotin, F.G. 2019. Large-scale molecular phylogeny, morphology, divergence-time estimation, and the fossil record of advanced caenophidian snakes (Squamata: Serpentes). PLoS ONE 14(5): e0216148. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216148 Open access Reference page.

Links

Lamprophiidae – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Vernacular names
English: African House Snakes

The Lamprophiidae are a family of snakes[1] found throughout much of Africa, including the Seychelles. There are 89 species as of July 2022.[2]
Biology

Lamprophiids are a very diverse group of snakes. Many are terrestrial but some are fossorial (e.g. Amblyodipsas) or semi-aquatic (e.g. Lycodonomorphus). Some are fast-moving (e.g. Psammophis) whereas others are slow (e.g. Duberria). They are found in deserts, grasslands, tropical forests and mountains. Together they feed on mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Some species use constriction to subdue their prey (e.g. Boaedon). When other snake families were formerly included within the Lamprophiidae, they were considered even more diverse in biology, although this is now known to not be the case. Most species are oviparous.
Classification

Most lamprophiids were historically considered to be members of the subfamily Lamprophiinae in the family Colubridae. The following classification follows Pyron et al., 2010,[3] whose finding that lamprophiids are more closely related to elapids has been repeated by several other studies.[4][5][6][7] Together these two groups are sometimes referred to as the Elapoidea. In fact, some studies have found that Elapidae is nested within Lamprophiidae,[6][7] a finding that necessitated taxonomic changes to restore monophyly within the Elapoidea. Following this, multiple subfamilies within Lamprophiidae were reclassified as their own families, reducing the number of species, overall distribution, and diversity in form of Lamprophiidae as previously defined; prior to this revision, members of Lamprophiidae were thought to be even more diverse in form and behavior, and were thought to have a distribution from Africa to Madagascar, southern Europe, and most of Asia. They are now known to be found in only Africa.[8][9][10]
List of subfamilies and genera

Lamprophiidae
Alopecion Duméril, 1853 - spotted house snake
Boaedon A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
Bofa Tiutenko, Koch, Pabijan, & Zinenko, 2022- Ethiopian house snake
Bothrolycus Günther, 1874
Bothrophthalmus W. Peters, 1863
Chamaelycus Boulenger, 1919
Dendrolycus Laurent, 1956
Gonionotophis Boulenger, 1893
Gracililima Broadley, Tolley, Conradie, Wishart, Trape, Burger, Kusamba, Zassi-Boulou & Greenbaum, 2018
Hormonotus Hallowell, 1857
Inyoka Kelly, Branch, Broadley, Barker & Villet, 2011
Lamprophis Fitzinger, 1843
Limaformosa Broadley, Tolley, Conradie, Wishart, Trape, Burger, Kusamba, Zassi-Boulou, & Greenbaum, 2018
Lycodonomorphus Fitzinger, 1843
Lycophidion Fitzinger, 1843
Mehelya Csíki, 1903
Montaspis Bourquin, 1991
Pseudoboodon Peracca, 1897

Former subfamilies

These taxa were formerly classified in the Lamprophiidae, but are now either classified as families of their own or subfamilies in other taxa.[10][11]

Subfamily Atractaspidinae (now Atractaspididae)
Subfamily Cyclocorinae (now Cyclocoridae)
Subfamily Prosymninae (now Prosymnidae)
Subfamily Psammophiinae (now Psammophiidae)
Subfamily Pseudaspidinae (now Pseudaspididae)
Subfamily Pseudoxyrhophiinae (now Pseudoxyrhophiidae)
Genus Buhoma (now incertae sedis within Elapoidea)

In captivity

Some members of the Lamprophiidae, such as the African house snake (genus Boaedon) are kept and bred as pets by herpetoculturists worldwide. Due to their placid nature, classification as nonvenomous snakes, easy care requirements and small size, many of the species that are bred in captivity are considered by many to be a perfect pet reptile for novices and experienced reptile keepers alike.[12]
References

"Lamprophiidae - Die Systematik". www.dahmstierleben.de.
Uetz, Peter. "Lamprophiidae". The Reptile Database. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
Pyron RA, Burbrink FT, Colli GR, Montes de Oca AN, Vitt LJ, Kuczynski CA, Wiens JJ. 2010. The phylogeny of advanced snakes (Colubroidea), with discovery of a new subfamily and comparison of support methods for likelihood trees. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 58: 329–342. Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
Pyron, R. A.; Burbrink, F.; Wiens, J. J. (2013). "A phylogeny and revised classification of Squamata, including 4161 species of lizards and snakes". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 13: 93. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-93. PMC 3682911. PMID 23627680.
Streicher, J. W.; Ruane, S. (2018). "Phylogenomics of Snakes". eLS: 1–8. doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0027476. ISBN 9780470015902.
Figueroa, A.; McKelvy, A. D.; Grismer, L. L.; Bell, C. D.; Lailvaux, S. P. (2016). "A species-level phylogeny of extant snakes with description of a new colubrid subfamily and genus". PLOS ONE. 11 (9): e0161070. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1161070F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0161070. PMC 5014348. PMID 27603205.
Zheng, Y; Wiens, JJ (2016). "Combining phylogenomic and supermatrix approaches, and a time-calibrated phylogeny for squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) based on 52 genes and 4162 species" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 94 (Pt B): 537–547. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.10.009. PMID 26475614.
Zaher, Hussam; Murphy, Robert W.; Arredondo, Juan Camilo; Graboski, Roberta; Machado-Filho, Paulo Roberto; Mahlow, Kristin; Montingelli, Giovanna G.; Quadros, Ana Bottallo; Orlov, Nikolai L.; Wilkinson, Mark; Zhang, Ya-Ping (2019-05-10). "Large-scale molecular phylogeny, morphology, divergence-time estimation, and the fossil record of advanced caenophidian snakes (Squamata: Serpentes)". PLOS ONE. 14 (5): e0216148. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1416148Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216148. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6512042. PMID 31075128.
Zaher, Hussam; Murphy, Robert W.; Arredondo, Juan Camilo; Graboski, Roberta; Machado-Filho, Paulo Roberto; Mahlow, Kristin; Montingelli, Giovanna G.; Quadros, Ana Bottallo; Orlov, Nikolai L.; Wilkinson, Mark; Zhang, Ya-Ping (2019-05-10). "Large-scale molecular phylogeny, morphology, divergence-time estimation, and the fossil record of advanced caenophidian snakes (Squamata: Serpentes)". PLOS ONE. 14 (5): e0216148. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1416148Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216148. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6512042. PMID 31075128.
"Search results | The Reptile Database". reptile-database.reptarium.cz. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
Zaher, Hussam; Murphy, Robert W.; Arredondo, Juan Camilo; Graboski, Roberta; Machado-Filho, Paulo Roberto; Mahlow, Kristin; Montingelli, Giovanna G.; Quadros, Ana Bottallo; Orlov, Nikolai L.; Wilkinson, Mark; Zhang, Ya-Ping (2019-05-10). "Large-scale molecular phylogeny, morphology, divergence-time estimation, and the fossil record of advanced caenophidian snakes (Squamata: Serpentes)". PLOS ONE. 14 (5): e0216148. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1416148Z. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0216148. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6512042. PMID 31075128.

"The African House Snake - Care in Captivity".

Further reading
Fitzinger L. 1843. Systema Reptilium, Fasciculus Primus, Amblyglossae. Vienna: Braumüller & Seidel. 106 pp. + indices. ([1])