Caenophidia
Template:Short description Template:Automatic Taxobox
The Caenophidia are a derived clade of alethinophidian snakes, which contains over 80% of all the extant species of snakes.<ref name="Vidal2007">Template:Cite journal</ref> The largest family is Colubridae, but it also includes at least seven other families,<ref name="Vidal2007" /> at least four of which were once classified as "Colubridae" before molecular phylogenetics helped us understand their relationships. It has been found to be monophyletic.<ref name="Vidal2007" />
Although the Caenophidia previously was held to exclude Acrochordidae, researchers have recognized that acrochordids share several traits with the other caenophidians.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Hence Caenophidia is usually considered to comprise Acrochordidae plus Template:Clarify the more derived snakes classified as Colubroidea. Recent molecular studies have also found the families Xenophidiidae and Bolyeriidae to be closely related to caenophidians, forming the sister group to Caenophidia rather than being part of Henophidia.<ref name="Reynolds14"/><ref name="Figueroa16"/>
Below is a phylogeny of the Caenophidia based on analyses from several studies:<ref name=PyronSquamtes>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Reynolds14">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Figueroa16">Template:Cite journal</ref>