Are all snakes in the family boidae, boids???

[Jonny2184]

I was talkiing to a friend about the snake laws in New Brunswick, and they told me this... and I'm confused about the description of a boid...

It IS an offence to keep ball pythons in NB. Under the NB Wildlife act, there is a list of animals which you can keep as pets (and its VERY small) everything else is not allowed. Ball Pythons and all other boids (excepting the Calabar burrowing Python) are not on the list, neither are Bearded Dragons, Iguanas, etc. Corn snakes are allowed, but California kingsnakes are not.

and this is were I get confused!

All snakes in the family boidae are boids - this includes all boas and all pythons (i.e. Boa constrictors, Sand boas, Anacondas, Burmese Pythons, Reticulated Pythons, African Rock Pythons, Ball Pythons, Carpet Pythons (including all of the genus Morelia), Emerald Tree Boas, Green Tree Pythons, Rosy Boas, Ground Pythons, Angolan Pythons, Amethyestine Pythons, etc etc - you get my point).
Maybe you ment the "Big 6 Boids" ?? (Afrocks, Retics, Burms, Boa constrictors, Scrub Pythons, and Green Anacondas)

[elevatethis]

Nope, all snakes are not in the the family, "boidae." That's just one of many taxonomic classifications of snakes.

Here ya go:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Serpentes_families

and another:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snakes

[Jonny2184]

Ah, so a Ball Python is not considered a Boid, or neither does it come from the Boidae family?!?

[elevatethis]

Yup...I used to think boas and pythons were grouped together, too. It's a pretty common misconception, no big deal.

[Jonny2184]

Well I didnt think BP, or GTP, or JCP, were boids...
I always thought a boid was like a burm, or retic, or a BIG snake.
maybe something over 6-7feet, but not a BP...

[elevatethis]

Balls, retics, short tails, burms, timor, and angolans are all in the Python genus that is within the Pythonidae family.

GTPs, JCPs, Bredls, etc, are in the Morelia genus, also within the Pythonidae family.

The second list I posted has the full run down.

[Jonny2184]

Boas have two subfamilies: Boinae or true boas and Erycinae or sand boas. Pythons are sometimes classified as a subfamily of Boidae, but are frequently listed under their own family, Pythonidae. Sand boas are also frequently listed under their own family, Erycidae.

This says that sometimes Pythons are listed under Boidae... btu really it's just a sub-family I guess eh?!
Pythinidae is the real family they are in...

Thanks, I'm not so confused now.... I think!

[Jonny2184]

HAHAHA, I just realized my "title" doesnt make any sense!
Are all snakes in the snakes in the family boidae, boids???

I think I should have said...

Are all snakes in the family boidae, boids???