#aniliidae

[herpsandbirds]

American Pipe Snake aka False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale), family Aniliidae, Ecuador

This family is monotypic, containing only this species.

This species is considered to be quite primitive in its anatomy.

Coral snake mimic.

photograph by Nick Volpe

[herpsandbirds]

American Pipe Snake aka False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale), family Aniliidae, found across much of South America

This family is monotypic, containing only this species.

This species is considered to be quite primitive in its anatomy.

Coral snake mimic.

photograph by Konrad Mebert

[herpsandbirds]

American Pipe Snake aka False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale), family Aniliidae, Peru

This family is monotypic, containing only this species.

This species is considered to be quite primitive in its anatomy.

Coral snake mimic.

photograph by Nick Volpe

[herpsandbirds]

I think because of your blog, I had a dream where I found a very tiny snake who liked to curl up in my hands or pocket because it wanted to be warm. (Of course then it ended up having swallowed a bunch of worrisome things like nuts and bolts and axes, which I don’t think is normal snake behavior). But I woke up and immediately thought “I bet they could ID that snake, which was not real”

I have been transmitting strange dreams into your mind.

AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS WEIRD!!!

Here's a very nice snake for you...

American Pipe Snake aka False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale), family Aniliidae, found across much of South America

This family is monotypic, containing only this species.

This species is considered to be quite primitive in its anatomy.

Coral snake mimic.

As a defense, this snake will hide its head beneath its body, and move its tail as a many snakes would move their heads (thus inviting strikes to the tail, instead of the head).

photograph by Vincent Prémel

photograph by Mark Wolfson

photograph by Frank Deschandol

photograph by Dick Bartlett

photographs by Vincent Prémel

photographs by Rainer Deo

[herpsandbirds]

American Pipe Snake aka False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale), family Aniliidae, Brazil

This family is monotypic, containing only this species.

This species is considered to be quite primitive in its anatomy.

photograph by Eduardo Santos

[herpsandbirds]

American Pipe Snake aka False Coral Snake (Anilius scytale), family Aniliidae, French Guiana

This family is monotypic, containing only this species.

This species is considered to be quite primitive in its anatomy.

photograph by Mejdi Snakes

[astronomy-to-zoology]

False Coral Snake (Anilus scytale)

Also known as the Pipe Snake, the false coral snake is the sole member of the family Aniliidae. A. scytale is native to South America and ranges from southern and eastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana south through the Amazon Basin of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. Much is still unknown about A. scytale's biology and ecology, but it is reported to be ovoviviparous and feeds on insects, legless lizards, small fossorial snakes, fish and frogs. Anilus scytale is widely considered to resemble ancestral snakes, as it has a lizard-like skull and other anatomical features.

Classification 

Animalia-Chordata-Reptilia-Squamata-Serpentes-Alethinophidia-Aniliidae-Anilius-A. scytale

Image: DuSantos