The function of red and banded patterns in snakes: the ophiophagy hypothesis.

The article investigates the function of bright red and black banded (RBB) colorations in coral snakes and other snakes, challenging the traditional view that these patterns primarily serve as aposematic signals with harmless snakes mimicking venomous coral snakes. Instead, it proposes the "ophiophagy hypothesis," which posits that red and banded colorations have evolved mainly as direct defensive adaptations against predation by other snakes, particularly ophiophagous (snake-eating) species that pose a high predation risk. Statistical analyses across diverse snake taxa reveal a strong association between specialization in consuming elongate vertebrates (including snakes) and the presence of red and banded patterns, supporting this hypothesis. The review also discusses related defensive traits such as ontogenetic color changes, ventral coloration, tail morphology, and specific behaviors like head hiding and tail waving, suggesting these features collectively function to reduce predation risk from snake predators. The article emphasizes the need for further natural history research on snake predator-prey interactions and cautions against overreliance on aposematism and mimicry explanations without considering ecological and behavioral contexts.