Acrochordoidea is a superfamily of snakes that contains only one extant family, the file snakes (Acrochordidae), as well as two extinct families, Nigerophiidae and Palaeophiidae. Members of this superfamily are largely aquatic in nature, with some species found in marine habitats, much as with the only distantly related sea snakes. Members of Palaeophiidae and Nigerophiidae could grow incredibly large and some species, such as members of the genus Palaeophis, were among the largest snakes to ever exist.[1][2][3][4][5][excessive citations]

Acrochordoidea
Temporal range: 99.7–0 Ma Late Cretaceous - Present
Arafura file snake (Acrochordus arafurae)
Life restoration of Palaeophis maghrebianus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Clade: Caenophidia
Superfamily: Acrochordoidea
McDowell, 1979
Families

References

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  1. ^ "Fossilworks: Acrochordoidea". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  2. ^ Snetkov, P. B. (2011-06-14). "Vertebrae of the sea snake Palaeophis nessovi Averianov (Acrochordoidea, Palaeophiidae) from the Eocene of western Kazakhstan and phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily Acrochordoidea". Paleontological Journal. 45 (3): 305–313. doi:10.1134/S0031030111030129. ISSN 1555-6174. S2CID 84595216.
  3. ^ "Large palaeophiid and nigerophiid snakes from Paleogene Trans-Saharan Seaway deposits of Mali". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
  4. ^ Houssaye, Alexandra; Rage, Jean-Claude; Bardet, Nathalie; Vincent, Peggy; Amaghzaz, Mbarek; Meslouh, Said (2013). "New highlights about the enigmatic marine snake Palaeophis maghrebianus (Palaeophiidae; Palaeophiinae) from the Ypresian (Lower Eocene) phosphates of Morocco". Palaeontology. 56 (3): 647–661. doi:10.1111/pala.12008. ISSN 1475-4983.
  5. ^ "Fossilworks: Nigerophiidae". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.