title: Coral snake mimicry: live snakes not avoided by a mammalian predator.
abstract: The occurrence of coral snake coloration among unrelated venomous and non-venomous New World snake species has often been explained in terms of warning coloration and mimicry. The idea that snake predators would avoid coral snakes in nature seems widely established and is postulated in many discussions on coral snake mimicry. However, the few workers that have tested a potential aposematic function of the conspicuous colour pattern focused exclusively on behaviour of snake predators towards coloured abstract models. Here we report on behaviour of temporarily caged, wild coatis (Nasua narica) when confronted with co-occurring live snakes, among which were two species of venomous coral snakes. Five different types of responses have been observed, ranging from avoidance to predation, yet none of the coatis avoided either of the two coral snake species or other species resembling these. As in earlier studies coatis appeared to avoid coral snake models, our findings show that results from studies with abstract snake models cannot unconditionally serve as evidence for an aposematic function of coral snake coloration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, SectionAnimal Ecology, Univesity of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gabriel J L
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, SectionAnimal Ecology, Univesity of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Twan A A M
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Leenders
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, SectionAnimal Ecology, Univesity of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Strijbosch
keywords: Aposematism; Coloration; Coral snakes; Micrurus; Mimicry