The Cylindrophiidae are a monotypic family[2] of secretive, semifossorial, non-venomous snakes containing the genus Cylindrophis found in southeastern Asia.

[4][5] They are also found in Sri Lanka (but not India[6]) and in southeastern China (Fujian, Hong Kong, and on Hainan Island).

The head has large symmetrical shields, with the nostrils in a single nasal, which forms a suture with its fellow behind the rostral.

[4] Only one species, C. yamdena, lacks a bold ventral pattern in most individuals, having instead an orange-pink belly without bands or spots.

At least one species uses constriction to subdue its prey,[10][11] which include elongate vertebrates: reptiles (snakes), amphibians (caecilians), and fish (eels).

In a broader sense, Cylindrophiidae & Anomochilidae are most closely related to Uropeltidae, a family of burrowing snakes from southern India & Sri Lanka.