Reptile
False Coral Snake (Two-banded)
Erythrolamprus bizona
Erythrolamprus bizona is a second False Coral Snake species recorded from Trinidad, again known from a single specimen in Boos (2001). Like its congener E. aesculapii, it is a non-venomous colubrid that closely mimics the appearance of a true coral snake, exploiting the predator-avoidance protection that the real thing has earned.
Description
This species is distinguished from E. aesculapii by differences in banding arrangement and scale counts that require specialist examination to confirm. In the field, both species appear as brightly banded red-black-white snakes and neither poses any threat to humans. Both are fully protected under Trinidadian law.
Ecology
The record of this species from Trinidad rests on a very limited specimen base, and its ecology on the island is not well documented. Like other members of the genus, it is expected to be fossorial, nocturnal, and to feed primarily on small snakes and lizards.
Threats
- Persecution due to coral snake resemblance
- Habitat loss