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I'll just regurgitate what I said on another forum to this question.
Rear fanged snakes are referred to as opisthoglyphs. I believe that all rear fanged are colubrids. It is often a somewhat primitive venom delivery system. Many don't even have hollow fangs. There are several species that have caused moderate to serious envenomations and even fatalities. Many are considered to be harmless, particularly most North American Species. But you have to remember that bees and wasps are only mild envenomations to most people, but if someone is allergic ot the venom, it can kill them. I have heard numerous reports of Boiga, for instance, causing moderate to severe envenomations. And of course the Boomslang and Twig Snake causing fatalities. It is true that some species have to "chew" in order to cause a decent envenomation, but that is not true for all species, particularly the more dangerous ones.
As a side note, even snakes that have been int he trade for years such as Beauty snakes are venomous. They contain Alphaneurotoxins and Cobra 3 Finger Toxins.
If your library or someone you know has it, Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere has an excellent section on venomous colubrids. It is in Volume II starting on page 719.
"Four Latin American Species have also been implicated in very rare fatal accidents. No colubrid in North America has been implicated in bites causing more than local symptoms of envenomation."
"...familiar species that have been regarded as innoffensive, such as Gartersnakes, have produced symptoms of envenoming in humans"
I am actually one of the few people that has had a moderate reaction to a Gartersnake bite.
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