| Erythrolamprus aesculapii | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Erythrolamprus |
| Species: | E. aesculapii |
| Binomial name | |
| Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Linnaeus, 1758) |
|
Erythrolamprus aesculapii, the False Coral, is a snake found in Amazonian South America and on the island of Trinidad (in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). It feeds mainly on other snakes and is often found in the leaf litter or burrowing in the soil in rain forests. This snake is mildly venomous. It has been falsely reported that it gains some protection from predators through its mimicry of coral snakes. In fact, it is a model for the coral snake and the coral snake is the mimic.
Boos, Hans E.A. (2001). The snakes of Trinidad and Tobago. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX.. ISBN 1-58544-116-3. Wolfgang Wicker (1968). Mimicry in plants and animals. McGraw-Hill Book Company.