November 2, 2024

Watch: The First Documented Coral Snake Food Heist in the Wild

Credit: Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul DreyerTwo red-tailed coral snakes were seen engaging in a fight over a caecilian, marking the first recorded instance of kleptoparasitism in the wild amongst the Elapidae family.Kleptoparasitism, or food theft, is a well-documented behavior in numerous animal types however is rarely reported among snakes in natural habitats.The observation, detailed in a current research study released in the open-access journal Herpetozoa by Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul Dreyer, showcases the two Micrurus mipartitus snakes engaging in a tug-of-war over the limbless amphibian.Two coral snakes competing over amphibian victim. There are more than 400 types comprising a really diverse group of snakes such as mambas, cobras, kraits, taipans, tiger snakes, death adders, sea snakes, and coral snakes.The fight occurred in the dense rainforests of Valle del Cauca, western Colombia.” Snakes in captivity do that often when just one victim is offered in a terrarium with 2 or more snakes.