Fun False Coral Snake Facts For Kids
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The false coral snake, also known as the American pipe snake and the coral cylinder snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake that can further be divided into two subspecies. They are known as the Anilius scytale scytale, and the Anilius scytale phelpsorum.
The geographic habitats of this species range from Brazil to southern and eastern Venezuela. This snake species belong to the genus Anilius and the family Aniliidae.
The exact lifespan of this species is not yet known. The American pipe snake is nonvenomous and its bites do not cause any life-threatening injury to a human. Their bodies are covered with scales and can be red, pink, or orange.
They also have ring-shaped structures or bands on their bodies, which are mostly black. They are medium-sized snakes and they have shorter heads and tails, as compared to other large species of snake.
These are solitary creatures and are rarely seen together in a group. The conservation status of these snakes has been evaluated as of Least Concern by the IUCN.
Keep on reading to know more about false coral snakes. Check out western diamondback rattlesnake facts and plain-bellied watersnake facts to learn more about other animals.
False Coral Snake Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a false coral snake?
The false coral snake (Anilius scytale) is a species of nonvenomous snake. It has two subspecies, namely the Anilius scytale scytale and the Anilius scytale phelpsorum.
What class of animal does a false coral snake belong to?
This snake belongs to the Reptilia class of animals and the family of Aniliidae.
How many false coral snakes are there in the world?
The exact population of this species of snake in the world is not known. However, there has been a decrease in their population worldwide, owing to the destruction of their natural habitats.
Where does a false coral snake live?
These snakes can be found in the regions of northern South America, southern and eastern Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia, to name a few.
What is a false coral snake's habitat?
The habitats of these snakes generally range from woody to marshy regions. This species of snake is known to share its habitat with another species of snake, known as the coral snake.
Who do false coral snakes live with?
Not much is known about the movement of these snakes. Most species of snakes, in general, are solitary creatures and move alone, instead of in a group.
How long does a false coral snake live?
Not much extensive research has been done on the lifespan of this snake.
How do they reproduce?
Found in the regions of eastern and southern Venezuela, this species of snake are ovoviviparous by nature, that is, the females produce eggs that develop within their bodies and then they give birth to live young. A female snake can give birth to 15 live young at a time.
What is their conservation status?
The conservation status of this species has been recorded as of Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Although there is no probable chance soon of this species or its subspecies becoming extinct, there has been a slow decline in their population. Habitat loss is the main reason for this.
False Coral Snake Fun Facts
What do false coral snakes look like?
The false coral snake (Anilius scytale) is a medium-sized snake with a brightly colored body covered with scales. The body color of this species of snake ranges from red, orange, or pink.
They have ring-shaped structures or bands all over their bodies which are mainly black. They share their physical characteristics with another similar-looking species of snake, namely the coral snake.
One of the most interesting features of the shape of the body of this snake is that it maintains the same thickness from head to tail, which gives it the look of a cylinder. They have shorter heads and tails, unlike other large species of snakes.
How cute are they?
No, this snake is not at all cute to look at. Although it has quite a unique colored body, of red, pink, or orange, one gets frightened when encountered by this snake.
It is often thought to be related to venomous coral snakes. Both of them have ring-shaped structures or bands on their bodies which makes it difficult for one to differentiate between the two. The false coral snake in particular has a small head and tail.
How do they communicate?
There is not enough adequate information on how these snakes communicate with each other. However, snakes, in general, communicate through chemical pheromones. When an individual releases the pheromone from their body, the other snake picks up the cue with the help of its vomeronasal organ and tries to decode the message.
How big is a false coral snake?
The false coral snake is a medium-sized snake with black ring-shaped structures or bands on its body. The size of an average adult snake is 28 in (70 cm ). This species of snake are known to possess very small tails and are smaller in size than coral snakes. It also has a relatively smaller head compared to others.
How fast can a false coral snake move?
The exact speed of this snake is not yet known. However, they are known to be very good burrowers and spend the majority of the daytime under the ground.
How much does a false coral snake weigh?
The exact weight of this moderately sized species of snake is not known.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names for this snake.
What would you call a baby false coral snake?
A baby false coral snake is called a snakelet.
What do they eat?
Their diet includes other smaller species of snakes, frogs, and lizards. They are also known to feed on beetles as well as creatures that live underground, like caecilians.
Are they poisonous?
No, this snake is not poisonous. They are a nonvenomous species of snake and cases of attacks on humans by this snake are extremely rare.
Would they make a good pet?
No, this snake should not be kept as a pet. Although this species of snake is nonvenomous by nature, they do not do well around human beings, like most other snakes. When encountered by a human, this snake is most likely to flee or attempt to defend itself by adopting certain body postures.
Did you know...
The chances of a dog getting killed by a coral snake bite are rare, although not entirely null. Some of the most common symptoms in a dog after getting bitten by a coral snake are vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and breathlessness, followed by paralysis.
After getting bitten, it needs to be taken to a nearby vet immediately, where it will be given proper medication to reduce the intensity of the venom.
Coral snakes display a wide range of colors in their bodies, which range from red, pink, yellow, or white. They also have ring-like structures or bands on their bodies, which are generally black or yellow. Those coral snakes, as described by several researchers, that possess the pattern of red and black banding on their bodies are not venomous.
How long does it take for a coral snake to kill you?
The coral snake is considered to rank second among the list of snakes containing the strongest venom. They do not readily bite humans at the first chance, however, if provoked or threatened, they will not hesitate to bite.
Symptoms in humans start to show after almost 13 hours of being bitten. Most of these symptoms include paralysis, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, and muscle twitching. If left untreated, it can also cause death.
However, cases of death from a coral snake bite are not very common and can take days to occur. Fortunately, the false coral snake is not harmful to humans.
Comparisons with similar snakes
The false coral snake is very often thought to be related to coral snakes. Both these species share the same physical characteristics, as both of them are red, pink, or orange.
They also share the same habitat regions. Therefore, you can get confused very easily with these two species of snakes. False coral snakes have two subspecies.
A major difference between coral and false coral snake species is the intensity of their venoms. While the false coral snake is nonvenomous, the coral snake is highly venomous. A bite from a coral snake, if left untreated for a long period can cause death in a human being.
Also, the false coral belongs to the family Aniliidae, while the coral snakes belong to the Elapidae. The false coral snake possibly mimics the coral snake as a defense mechanism against predators.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including blue racer facts and coral snake facts.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable false coral snake coloring pages.
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Sources
https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/false-coral-snake-aniliidae
https://www.pantanalescapes.com/wildlife/reptiles/coralsnake.html
https://www.britannica.com/animal/false-coral-snake
https://www.oriannesociety.org/science-of-scales/coral-snakes-and-their-mimics/
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/32073-Anilius-scytale
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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