Colubrid

A colubrid (from Latin "coluber", snake) is a snake that is a member of the Colubridae family. Colubridae is the largest snake family, and includes about two-thirds of all known living snake species. However, colubrids are "certainly not a natural group", and many are more closely related to other groups, such as elapids, than to each other. This family has classically been a dumping ground for snakes that do not fit anywhere else. There is on-going mitochondrial DNA research which will sort out the familial relations within this group.
A colubrid's body is almost completely covered in scales. Most colubrids are not venomous and are normally harmless. A few groups, such as genus "Boiga", can produce medically significant bites. In addition, the Boomslang and African twig snake have both caused human fatalities. The venom-injecting fangs associated with venomous colubrids are almost always in the back of the mouth, in contrast to vipers and elapids.