Predation on snakes of Argentina: Effects of coloration and ring pattern on coral and false coral

CARLOS M. BUASSO, GERARDO C. LEYNAUD & FELIX B. CRUZ

STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT

Taylor & Francis

Año: 2006 vol. 41 p. 183 - 188

0165-0521

The occurrence of coral snake coloration among unrelated venomous and non-venomous snake species has often beenexplained in terms of warning coloration and mimicry. In Argentina, no field tests have been conducted to confirm thismimetic association between one venomous coral species (Micrurus phyrrocryptus, Elapidae) and two non-venomous snakespecies with a similar color pattern (Lystrophis pulcher and Oxyrhopus rhombifer, Colubridae). The aims of this work were totest for the possible aposematic or cryptic function of the ring pattern and coloration of coral snakes and false coral snakesfrom central Argentina, and to analyse whether the pattern is effective throughout the year. Predation on snakes wasestimated by using non-toxic plasticine replicas of ringed venomous and non-venomous snakes and unbanded green snakesplaced along transects in their natural habitat during the dry and rainy season. Ringed color pattern was attacked bypredators despite the background color. One of the replica types was attacked more than expected during the dry season,suggesting that both shape and width of rings may influence the choice by predators. The reaction of predators towardsreplicas that mimic snake species with ringed patterns is independent of the geographical region, and we can conclude thatmimicry characteristics are quite general when the true models are present in the area.