Aesculapian False Coral Snake

About the Aesculapian False Coral Snake

Erythrolamprus aesculapii, also known commonly as the Aesculapian false coral snake, the South American false coral snake, and in Portuguese as bacorá, or falsa-coral, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South America.

The specific name, aesculapii, refers to Aesculapius, the Greek mythological god of medicine, who is depicted with a snake-entwined staff. Erythrolamprus aesculapii belongs to the genus Erythrolamprus, which contains over 50 species. The genus Erythrolamprus belongs to the subfamily Dipsadinae, which is sometimes referred to as the family Dipsadidae.

Molecular phylogenetic DNA analysis has shown that Erythrolamprus aesculapii is likely paraphyletic, as shown in the cladogram below of Erythrolamprus species located in northern South America: E. aesculapii is found in the Amazon rainforest of South America. It is also found on the island of Trinidad (in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). E. aesculapii is often found in the leaf litter or burrowing in the soil in rain forests, at altitudes from sea level to 2,300 m (7,500 ft).... Wikipedia →