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Witness the incredible footage below.
Two red-tailed coral snakes were observed competing over a caecilian in the first documented case of kleptoparasitism within the Elapidae family in the wild.
Kleptoparasitism, also known as food theft, is a well-documented behavior in many animal species but is rarely reported among snakes in their natural habitats.
The observation, detailed in a recent study published 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.
Elapid snakes are venomous and among the deadliest serpents in the world. There are more than 400 species in this diverse group of snakes, including mambas, cobras, kraits, taipans, tiger snakes, death adders, sea snakes, and coral snakes.
The battle took place in the dense rainforests of Valle del Cauca, western Colombia. Surprisingly, during the tussle, one snake also bit the body of the other. However, the researchers suggest this was likely unintentional.
After 17 minutes of observation, the losing coral snake released its bite-hold on the caecilian. The winner then moved away from the losing snake, which did not follow.
The study suggests that while such behaviors may be more common in captivity due to controlled environments, their prevalence in nature has been largely underreported, likely due to the elusive nature of these reptiles and the challenges of observing them in their natural habitats.
“Snakes in captivity do this often when only one prey is available in a terrarium with two or more snakes. But it is surprising that it has not been observed more frequently in the wild.”
Henrik Bringsøe, lead author.
This case sheds light on coral snake interactions with prey species. Caecilians, like the one in this study, have shown remarkable adaptations such as toxin resistance and increased mucus production.
Henrik Bringsøe previously recorded snake feeding behavior that was completely new to science. Check out his guest blog post on snakes that disembowel and feed on the organs of living toads.
Wow, nature never ceases to amaze me! 🐍🐍🔥