Guibe's Flame Snake

About the Guibe's Flame Snake

Oxyrhopus guibei is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South America. It is often called the false coral snake, but this common name can refer to any of a long list of other species, genera, and even entire families of snakes. Many nonvenomous snakes have evolved coloration that mimics that of venomous true coral snakes, a trait which helps them avoid predation.

The specific name, guibei, is in honor of French herpetologist Jean Guibé. O. guibei is native to central sections of South America, in parts of Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The species O. guibei has been described as common to abundant.

O. guibei can reach 1 m (3.3 ft) to 1.25 m (4.1 ft) in total length (including tail). Females can reach much larger sizes than males. The preferred natural habitat of O. guibei is forest, including forest edges and open areas. The snake is sometimes seen near human activity and habitation, for example, on farms and in backyards.

O. guibei is mostly nocturnal, but is sometimes out basking during the day. It spends most of its time on... Wikipedia →