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I've googled through several online dictionaries, but they only list different families of snakes as being elapids, such as cobras, mambas, taipans, tigers, etc.. (I think kraits were listed as being elapid, as well).

But, that doesn't really tell me what elapid, or elapidae means. I tend to assume that 'elapidae' is latin or greek, but what does it really mean? Does it refer to the shape of the fangs? Or is it the type of climate where elapids are found? Or is it the type of toxin used for envenomation? (It seems that elapid venoms tend to be neurotoxic.)

Once again, I'm not a herper, just a curious bystander. But I would appreciate some clarification.

TIA,
thistlewait

that I've personally never given much thought to. In taxonomy, families all end with "ae", therefore you have Elapidae, Colubridae, Viperidae, etc.

Now the definition of the word "elapid"...that's a good question.

Biologically speaking, elapids are venomous snakes with relatively short, fixed (non hinged fangs unlike viperids)fangs. These are called proteroglyphs.

In general, most elapids possess mainly neurotoxic venom, though this is a gross generalization and most elapids contain a complex mixture of toxins, not just purely neurotoxins.

Mambas, cobras, kraits, taipans, coral snakes, etc. are all members of the Elapidae family.

el·a·pid (l-pd)
(Vertebrate Zoology, Herpetology)
n.
Any of several venomous snakes of the family Elapidae, which includes the cobras, mambas, and coral snakes.
adj.
Of or belonging to the family Elapidae.

[From New Latin Elapidae, family name, from Late Greek elaps, elap-, fish, variant of Greek ellops.]

The term "Elapidae" is derived from the generic name Elaps, a genus of coral snakes (now a synonym of Micrurus). So, Elapidae really means "the family of Elaps and its relatives."

Family names are always derived from the name of their type genus, with the ending -idae appended. So Viperidae is derived from Vipera, Colubridae from Coluber, Boidae from Boa, etc.

However, I'm afraid I do not know what "Elaps" means directly in Latin or Greek. Almost certainly nothing to do with any particularly salient physical character of the family as a whole, though.

Cheers,

Wolfgang
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