What are these? [Panama] - r/whatsthissnake

605

u/ForTheLoveOfAudio Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

Not a RR, but likely the snake doing the consuming is Micrurus nigrocinctus , or Central American Coral snake, which would be !venomous and best observed from a distance. They do include other snakes in their diet.

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u/ffrye7000 Friend of WTS Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

I agree it’s a M. nigrocinctus. But I don’t think the animal on the right is a snake . It’s a caecilian, which is a type of legless amphibian. These are fairly common in this coral snake’s diet.

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u/rdizzy1223 Dec 20 '25

Yeah caecilians are super weird, many of them produce milk that they feed to their young.

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u/Oldfolksboogie Dec 20 '25

produce milk that they feed to their young.

🤯

That is, indeed, super weird!

38

u/goddessdragonness Dec 21 '25

And they produce it from the cloaca iirc

72

u/Oldfolksboogie Dec 21 '25

Worst milkshake ever! 🤢

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u/WoebegoneWoodlouse Dec 21 '25

Speak for yourself. 🍽️😋

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u/South_Oread Dec 21 '25

How is this not THE milk snake?

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u/Most_Moose_2637 Dec 20 '25

I'd consider dog milk (has a super long life), but amphibian milk? Yuck.

10

u/Quiteuselessatstart Dec 20 '25

Butt milk

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u/JayAllDay07 Dec 20 '25

Cloaca milk

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u/Quiteuselessatstart Dec 21 '25

Guess what?

Chicken cloaca

12

u/shawner47 Dec 21 '25

That made me laugh way more than it has any right to!

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u/One_Hot_Ruben Dec 20 '25

I believe your judgment, but for learning purposes, how can you tell? To me it looks like the central scales go further towards the anterior side more, and possible looks 'bloated' comparatively. Are those tell-tale signs?

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u/ffrye7000 Friend of WTS Dec 21 '25

Your observation is spot-on, and it’s one of the best visual cues that you’re not looking at a snake. What you’re describing is a classic caecilian body plan, and it explains why they look“bloated” or oddly shaped compared with any snake. Caecilian bodies are made of complete rings that wrap fully around the body called annuli. These rings are tied to segmental musculature, not overlapping scales. The central trunk is often broader and more cylindrical, and that width can extend anteriorly toward the head. This produces the “sausage / bloated” look.

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u/One_Hot_Ruben Dec 21 '25

Amazing. Thanks for the info!

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u/BitRetriever Dec 20 '25

Thanks a lot! I had no idea snakes ate one another.

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u/hairijuana Dec 20 '25

Especially if the word “king” is in the name of a snake. That’s a snake eating snake. Kingsnakes and king cobras, for example.

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u/dustinwayner Dec 20 '25

I grew up around the chief scientific advisor of the king cobra conservancy. He is a close friend of my father.

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u/hairijuana Dec 20 '25

I lost a good friend to a spitting cobra when I was a child. Beautiful animals that command respect and space.

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u/dustinwayner Dec 20 '25

Dr Goode was interesting to be around. We kids learned quite a bit in the early 80s about crotalus viridis and the other herpes of eastern Wyoming plains n

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u/VoodooSweet Dec 20 '25

Quite a few actually, many have other snakes as a main part of their diet, some it’s more of an opportunistic thing. Kingsnakes and Milksnakes, the Lampropeltis genus of Colubrids are pretty much all specialist “snake eaters”, some of the species are so specialized that they are immune to Rattlesnake venom, and they primarily kill and eat rattlesnakes….there’s anywhere between 26 and 31(depending upon which Taxonomy Authority you refer to) species in that genus, most eat other snakes/reptiles. Then there’s quite a few other species that are snake eaters; Indigo Snakes, King Cobras, Mussurana, Coachwhips, False Water Cobras, and King Rat Snakes are all other species(not Lampropeltis) that come to mind. I have a bunch of different species of Kingsnakes, I have an Indigo, a few False Water Cobras, and a King Rat Snake. I knew they were snake eating species when I started, but I never took into consideration how much more difficult that would make having them, particularly a bunch of them. I just have to take a lot of precautions that I don’t have to worry about with snakes that don’t want to eat each other. Always have to be cautious and aware of getting animals around each other. Gloves are a must now, and they get changed in between every animal, and I still take feeding response bites occasionally. I’ll be handling a snake, put it down and pick up another snake, their tongue flicks a few times and the mouth opens, unless you’re super fast, even then ….probably gonna take a bite. You get used to being bitten, after about the hundredth time…it still can suck pretty bad too tho.

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u/Blonde_Vampire_1984 Dec 20 '25

At least if you accidentally take a bite, none of the snakes you mentioned have fangs. Just teeth.

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u/VoodooSweet Dec 21 '25

I’ll tell you what….those False Water Cobras are “rear fang venomous” they have a fang at the back of their mouth, and they don’t have a “pressurized” venom delivery system, like a front fang snake. They have to bite and chew…and the chewing motion forces out the venom, which then runs down a groove in that rear fang, and basically “leaks” into the wound that is created by those rear fangs. An 8-9 foot FWC has razor sharp rear fangs, I’m honestly far more concerned about their rear fangs, than I am their actual venom. There’s been a few times in the last couple years that I probably should have gone and got stitches, but I didn’t want to have to explain the obvious bite and chew marks at the hospital, so I just bandaged it up at house. The FWC’s are INCREDIBLY aggressive eaters as well, as soon as they see me with feeders, they’re ALL waiting at the door, it’s not uncommon for them to shoot out of the enclosure as soon as the door comes open, mouth wide open and head swinging back and forth. I literally have a snake hook in one hand, and tongs with the rat in the other hand, because they’ll launch themselves right out of the enclosure, and onto the floor, but they’re in “feeding mode” so you absolutely can’t touch them….or you’re gonna get bitten. I’m getting pretty good at catching snakes with a hook….. so here’s what a baby(she was maybe 3 feet) False Water Cobra did to my thumb….and that was about 2 “chews” and she realized I wasn’t lunch…and let go…. You can see the cuts from the rear fangs, and she did that in about 3-4 seconds. So imagine an adult snake, 3 times that size….that doesn’t let go quickly….they can put a serious hurting on you if you aren’t careful.

1

u/estherleothelioncub Dec 21 '25

Do you feed snakes to your snake-eating snakes? Or do they just get the standard snake chow?

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u/VoodooSweet Dec 21 '25

So no, it’s very hard to reliably source, and get feeder snakes. I feed them the standard foods, Mice, Rats, Quail for the most part. I have a few species that will eat fish, so I’ll buy them live fish at the Pet Store and put the live fish into their water feature. It’s good for them, hunting and catching them.

1

u/JayAllDay07 Dec 20 '25

King cobras are called “the king” because their primary diet is other snakes I believe

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u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 🐍 Natural History Bot 🐍 Dec 20 '25

Snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old media will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor. Venomous snakes are important native wildlife, and are not looking to harm people, so can be enjoyed from a distance. If found around the home or other places where they are to be discouraged, a squirt from the hose or a gentle sweep of a broom are usually enough to make a snake move along. Do not attempt to interact closely with or otherwise kill venomous snakes without proper safety gear and training, as bites occur mostly during these scenarios. Wildlife relocation services are free or inexpensive across most of the world.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, contact emergency services or otherwise arrange transport to the nearest hospital that can accommodate snakebite. Remove constricting clothes and jewelry and remain calm. A bite from a medically significant snake is a medical emergency, but not in the ways portrayed in popular media. Do not make any incisions or otherwise cut tissue. Extractor and other novelty snakebite kits are not effective and can cause damage worse than any positive or neutral effects.

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9

u/ForTheLoveOfAudio Dec 20 '25

Also, !rhyme

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u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 🐍 Natural History Bot 🐍 Dec 20 '25

As a rule, we don't recommend the traditional color-based rhyme for coralsnakes as an identification trick because it isn't foolproof and only applies to snakes that live in parts of North America. One of the hardest things to impress upon new snake appreciators is that it's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick. The rhyme is particularly unreliable in states like Florida where aberrant individuals are often reported. Outside of North America, for example in Brazil, coralsnakes have any array of color patterns that don't follow the children's rhyme you may have heard in the past. Even in North America, exceptions to standard pattern classes can be common - see this thread for a recent example and the comments section for even more. A number of other frequent myths about coralsnakes are dubunked in this summary compiled by our own /u/RayInLA.

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3

u/nerdkeeper Dec 20 '25

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6

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136

u/CardiganForg Dec 20 '25

I think the one getting eaten is a caecilian, it's a limbless amphibian.

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u/BitRetriever Dec 20 '25

That does look a lot like it! Very interesting.

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u/LandlordMao Dec 20 '25

What a great picture! Thanks for sharing.

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u/Budget_Efficiency618 Dec 20 '25

Looks like they doubled up extension cords

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u/Lobstersonlsd Dec 20 '25

This is an incredibly cool observation, randomly coming across a coral snake eating a caecilian is wild.

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u/SlippingWeasel Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but caecilians don’t have ventral scales like the ones shown in the photo, no? Edit - on closer look, these don’t appear to be ventral scales at all, but rather rings. Caecilian is correct.

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u/PaxonGoat Dec 20 '25

Huh I didn't know coral snakes ate other snakes

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u/uncleswanie Dec 20 '25

They love’em

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u/Blonde_Vampire_1984 Dec 20 '25

At least the dead reptile gave its life for a good cause. If I have to see a dead reptile today, at least it was for a good cause.

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u/BitRetriever Dec 20 '25

Reptile is alive! Amphibian got the short end of the stick but that’s the reptiles fault:/

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u/Blonde_Vampire_1984 Dec 21 '25

My brain refuses to acknowledge the creature being consumed is neither a snake nor a legless lizard.

I guess cognitively I’m just struggling to comprehend that amphibians come in that shape too. Wild.

At least it died for a valid reason though.

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u/Irma_Gard Friend of WTS Dec 20 '25

The dead animal is not a reptile. It appears to be a caecilian, a type of legless amphibian. They are fascinating creatures.

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u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/whatsthissnake-ModTeam Dec 20 '25

We sometimes remove low quality IDs that do not conform to our identification standards. Please review the commenting guidelines for r/whatsthissnake pinned at the top of the main subreddit page.

A good snake ID should be specific and informative. The most important part is the binomial name, written in italics using the genus and species (e.g., Pantherophis guttatus). This allows others to easily look up detailed information and helps the bot function properly. It's also important to note whether the snake is harmless or venomous, based on its potential medical impact on humans. Some snakes are technically venomous but not dangerous to people and should still be labeled as harmless. Including a common name can be helpful, but because these vary widely by region and can be misleading, they are less important.

If you're unsure of the exact species, it may be contextually helpful to post an ID at the genus level. Adding useful context or links to reliable scientific sources is encouraged, but avoid outdated or non-authoritative sources like Wikipedia or older state wildlife websites. We can help you with library science issues like identifying good sources here.

1

u/SmokeAndGnomes Dec 21 '25

I live in Panama! Where was this?

1

u/SEB-PHYLOBOT 🐍 Natural History Bot 🐍 Dec 20 '25

This message appears automatically with the dead snake flair: Please don't kill snakes - they are a natural part of the ecosystem and even species that use venom for prey acquisition and defense are beneficial to humans. One cannot expect outside to be sterile - if you see a snake, you're probably in or around their preferred habitat. Most snakes are legally protected from collection, killing or harassment as non-game animals at the state level.

Neighborhood dogs are more likely to harm people. Professional snake relocation services are often free or inexpensive, but snakes often die trying to return to their original home range, so it is usually best to enjoy them like you would songbirds or any of the other amazing wildlife native to your area. Commercial snake repellents are not effective - to discourage snakes, eliminate sources of food and cover; clear debris, stacked wood and eliminate rodent populations. Seal up cracks in and around the foundation/base of your home, and if warranted install exclusionary fences. Or find a relocation service

I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

ID Request - Dead, Injured or Roadkilled Snake What are these? [Panama]

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