CORAL SNAKE MIMICRY - LIVE SNAKES NOT AVOIDED BY A MAMMALIAN PREDATOR

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 woul d avoid coral snakes in nature seems widely established and is postula ted in many discussions on coral snake mimicry. However, the few worke rs that have tested a potential aposematic function of the conspicuous colour pattern focused exclusively on behaviour of snake predators to wards coloured abstract models. Here we report on behaviour of tempora rily caged, wild coatis (Nasua narica) when confronted with co-occurri ng live snakes, among which were two species of venomous coral snakes. Five different types of responses have been observed, ranging from av oidance to predation, yet none of the coatis avoided either of the two coral snake species or other species resembling these. As in earlier stud ies coatis appeared to avoid coral snake models, our findings sho w that results from studies with abstract snake models cannot uncondit ionally serve as evidence for an aposematic function of coral snake co loration.