Insects and snakes may seem vastly different, but some insect species have evolved to mimic the appearance of serpents as a survival strategy. These clever insects deceive potential predators by looking like a poisonous snake, thus increasing their chances of living to see another day.
Mimicry in the insect world is astonishing, with examples ranging from moths that resemble tree bark to stick insects that blend in with twigs. The snake-mimicking insects, however, have taken things to another level. These fascinating creatures boast striking patterns and shapes, allowing them to camouflage themselves as snakes when confronted by predators. Some even go the extra mile and display snake-like movements in times of distress.
There are a few well-known insect species with snake-like appearances:
- The hawk moth caterpillar: When threatened, this caterpillar transforms itself into a snake look-alike by retracting its head and inflating its thorax, revealing a pattern similar to a snake’s head.
- The snake fly: This insect gets its name from its long, slender body, which bears a resemblance to a small snake.
- The snake-mimic caterpillar: This caterpillar species has a false head with large eyespots, making it seem like a small snake at first glance.
These examples showcase nature’s incredible ingenuity and offer a prime illustration of how mimicry serves as a valuable survival tactic in the animal kingdom.
Insect Mimicry of Snakes
Evolutionary Reasons for Mimicry
Insects, as well as other animals, have evolved various ways to protect themselves from predators. One of these strategies involves mimicking the appearance of other dangerous or venomous animals like snakes. This phenomenon is known as Batesian mimicry. Insects employing this tactic present a false threat.
- They look like snakes, leading predators to avoid them
- Mimics often share similar color patterns to the creatures they impersonate
For example, the scarlet snake mimics the venomous coral snake, showcasing red, black, and whitish-gray blotches. Although non-venomous themselves, this mimicry helps in deceiving potential predators.
Comparison Table
| Insect Mimicry | Snake Mimicry |
|---|---|
| Insects are small creatures | Snakes are elongated reptiles |
| Insects have exoskeletons | Snakes have scales on their skin |
| Evolved similar patterns/colors to resemble snakes | Naturally have those patterns/colors to send warning signals |
The evolutionary benefits of mimicry lie in increasing the survival rate of the mimics by deceiving predators. In some instances, insects may also mimic the behaviors of snakes, like slithering or hissing, adding to the effectiveness of the ruse.
Caterpillars That Resemble Snakes
Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar
- Coloration: Green with black markings
- Habitat: Forests, woodlands, and gardens
- Adult: Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly
Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars are green with black markings. They live in forests, woodlands, and gardens. When they become adults, they transform into the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly.
Red Helen Swallowtail Caterpillar
- Coloration: Brown & white with snake-like head
- Habitat: Tropical areas and open woodlands
- Adult: Red Helen Swallowtail butterfly
Red Helen Swallowtail caterpillars have brown and white coloration and a snake-like head. They inhabit tropical areas and open woodlands. As adults, they become the Red Helen Swallowtail butterfly.
Great Orange Tip Caterpillar
- Coloration: Green with white markings and orange head
- Habitat: Wetlands, riverbanks, and forests
- Adult: Great Orange Tip butterfly
Great Orange Tip caterpillars are green with white markings and an orange head. They’re found in wetlands, riverbanks, and forests. In adulthood, they transform into the Great Orange Tip butterfly.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Caterpillar
- Coloration: Green with black & white “eyes”
- Habitat: Forests, meadows, and rivers
- Adult: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars have a green coloration with black and white “eyes”. They live in forests, meadows, and rivers. As adults, they become the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.
Elephant Hawk-Moth Caterpillar
- Coloration: Grey & brown, with eyespots
- Habitat: Gardens, woodland edges, and meadows
- Adult: Elephant Hawk-Moth
Elephant Hawk-Moth caterpillars are grey and brown with eyespots. They inhabit gardens, woodland edges, and meadows. When they reach adulthood, they turn into the Elephant Hawk-Moth.
| Caterpillar | Coloration | Habitat | Adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spicebush Swallowtail | Green with black markings | Forests, woodlands, gardens | Spicebush Swallowtail |
| Red Helen Swallowtail | Brown & white, snake-like head | Tropical areas, open woodlands | Red Helen Swallowtail |
| Great Orange Tip | Green, white markings, orange head | Wetlands, riverbanks, forests | Great Orange Tip |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Green, black & white “eyes” | Forests, meadows, rivers | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
| Elephant Hawk-Moth | Grey & brown, eyespots | Gardens, woodland edges, meadows | Elephant Hawk-Moth |
Other Insects Mimicking Snakes
Wasp Mimicry
Some wasps are known for their snake-like appearance. This is mainly due to their coloration and patterns, which can be similar to venomous snakes. One example is the Amphiphilus itzocan wasp, which has black and yellow markings that resemble a coral snake. This coloration serves as a form of Batesian mimicry, where a harmless organism mimics the appearance of a dangerous species to deter predators.
- Wasp coloration: Black and yellow markings
- Purpose: Deter predators
Cricket Mimicry
In the insect world, some cricket species are also known for their weird snake-like features. For instance, the velvet cricket has elongated, snake-like body and coloration that somewhat resembles a snake. Although they do not have venom, this snake-like appearance may help them to avoid potential predators.
- Cricket coloration: Elongated body, snake-like coloration
- Purpose: Deter predators
| Mimicry Type | Species | Features | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasp Mimicry | Wasp | Black and yellow markings | Deter predators by resembling venomous snakes |
| Cricket Mimicry | Cricket | Elongated body, snake-like coloration | Deter predators by resembling snakes |
In both cases of wasp and cricket mimicry, the insects use coloration and patterns to mimic the appearance of snakes, which provides them with protection from potential predators.
Mimicry in Other Animals
Glass Lizards and Their Mimicry
- Glass lizards are often mistaken for snakes due to their elongated, legless bodies
- Examples include the mimic glass lizard, eastern glass lizard, island glass lizard, and slender glass lizard
Glass lizards exhibit remarkable mimicry that allows them to resemble snakes. The slow worm, a legless lizard, shares this trait, as do caecilians, which are often confused with worms or snakes due to their body shape and lack of limbs.
Non-Venomous Snakes Mimicking Venomous Snakes
- Some non-venomous snakes have evolved to mimic the appearance of venomous ones
- Examples: gopher snake, milk snakes, corn snake, water snakes, and worm snake
These non-venomous snakes adopt the colors and patterns of venomous snakes like the coral snake, which possesses a potent toxin. Here’s a comparison of some non-venomous and venomous snakes:
| Non-venomous Snake | Venomous Snake |
|---|---|
| Gopher Snake | Rattlesnake |
| Milk Snake | Coral Snake |
| Corn Snake | Copperhead |
| Water Snakes | Water Moccasin |
| Worm Snake | Hognose Snake |
Mimicry in these snakes serves as a defense mechanism, deterring predators from attacking them by imitating the appearance of a more dangerous, venomous species.
24 Comments. Leave new
Amateur herpetologist here–I suspect this may be a rubber boa. They are burrowing snakes with a red-tipped tail that they often use to confuse predators (head-like motion, and even false strikes). Though the picture resolution isn’t very high, the bluntness of the tail indicates it may have been attacked repeatedly. Great photo/info page at http://www.rubberboas.com/Photos/photoindex.html
Thanks so much for supplying this information.
What can I say; it’s possible. With size being unknown we have to go with color and other features. I checked out the photos on the Rubber Boas site above, posted by CB. They don’t seem right. It was much darker, the red was much redder, it had bumps – like a catepillar. (If it WAS a Rubber Boa, why was it making that pattern in the sand?) I’m not crossing the Rubber Boa off my list, I just want to know for sure. Thanks, CB, for your input. If you find anything else I’d love to see/hear it. Thanks bugman!
A friend of mine and I were hiking the Falls Creek Falls Trail in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Skamania County, Washington on Thursday, July 5, 2012 and came across a California Legless Lizard just resting on the trail. We didn’t know what it was at the time (neither of us having seen one before), but looked it up after returning home (it looked just like the photo in this article). I wish now we had at least taken a picture of it, but we just looked at it for a while as it started to slither away and continued on our hike.
According to this California Herps map, the California Legless Lizard does not range as far north as your sighting. We wish you had a photo so that we could try to figure out what you saw.
Bugman: we can’t say for sure that it was a “California Legless Lizard”, but it was definitely a legless lizard and looked almost exactly like the top photo in this article. It was a clear, bright day and we looked at it for quite a while before it moved on and we moved on. Though I had never seen one before in the wild, I knew it was a lizard and we refrained from picking it up for fear that we would scare it and it would drop its tail. In hindsight, of course, we really wish now that we had taken a picture of it, but it was just a curiousity at the time.
Bugman: here is an update. My friend was looking up other sites on the internet and came across a section on Rubber Boas, which are apparently native to Washington state, as well as other areas of the West. After seeing the photos in the article and reading about it, what we saw was definitely a Rubber Boa! The legless lizard and boa look remarkably alike, but what we saw had more of the subtle features of the boa. It was still cool to see a boa; we had never seen one of those either. Mystery solved!!
cool
Wonderful to see one. Thank you!
I just spotted the same kind today in Boynton Beach as well! I’d never seen this kind and this “big” of a lizard around here either. pic.twitter.com/o0c0YEg4kn
Wrong photo address. Here’s the newer one: pic.twitter.com/BHfeVMKQMs
I love these little lizards. I live in Western Washington State. They were always coming inside an office building I used to clean at night. The light would attract insects and the insects would attract the lizards. A couple times a week I had to catch a lizard and return it to the woods. One fall I took one home for the winter and returned it in the spring. Their color, up close, is so pretty.
The are always getting into the deep utility sink in the garage, so we assist them in getting outside again, just by catching them by hand very gently.
Live in Highland Beach and saw one of these lizards the other day. It was quite huge and startled me at first. Have never seen one before.
I AM the Bug Lover’s Cousin. Over these past few years we have made several trips out to this same location, the St. Anthony Sand Dunes, and have yet to see this creature or this pattern again. General consensus, from this and other sites, is that this is a Rubber Boa. So I’ll go with that possibility as I continue my search. Any other thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!
Thanks for the update. It is not unusual for us to get an identification comment as many as ten years after a posting is made, so there is still a chance someone may provide additional information, but since the first comment came from a someone very familiar with snakes, we are inclined to agree, though we also agree with Karl that a Sphinx Caterpillar might be the culprit. The Bedstraw Hawkmoth Caterpillar fits the general description your cousin provided and it is reported in the states and Canadian provinces bordering Idaho. This image of a Whitelined Sphinx Caterpillar in the sand from BugGuide documents the behavior of caterpillars in the genus. The one consideration causing us to continue to favor the Rubber Boa theory is that it was observed for such a long time, and we suspect a Caterpillar would have buried itself much quicker.
It’s a gecko’s tail. They drop them when threatened or attacked. Leaftail gecko I think they are called.
Most likely it’s a plains blind snake. They are native to San Antonio and look like skinny earthworms, if earthworms had scales and eye spots.
Thanks for that information.
Could also be a Brahminy blindsnake (Ramphotyphlops braminus). Native to Asia and Africa but have been introduced to many parts of the world, including Texas.
A video of it’s movement would be a HUGE help…
Thanks! I honestly didn’t think of that. If I see another, I’ll do that. He was tough to photograph. He wiggles around a lot but it seems haphazard like he’s got no idea where he’s going or what he’s doing.
I just spotted one in Naples FL
i just found a dead legless lizard in the street that runs in front of my house in suburban san diego. mostly silver in color but no stripes [or bands]. have imagery of same – as well as the deceased specimen itself, stored safely in my refrigerator – just in case they might be of any benefit in the identification process.