Reptile
Burrowing False Coral (Rouleau)
Anilius scytale scytale
The Burrowing False Coral, locally called the Rouleau, is an ancient, primitive snake of the family Aniliidae and the only member of that family in T&T. Known in Trinidad from a single specimen, its presence on the island is considered uncertain by Boos (2001). Vivid red and black banded, it mimics the appearance of coral snakes despite being non-venomous. One of the most phylogenetically ancient snake lineages in the Americas.
Description
Anilius scytale scytale is a stout, cylindrical burrowing snake reaching approximately 70 to 90 cm. The body is banded in vivid red and black, a pattern superficially resembling a coral snake. The head is small and barely distinct from the body; the eyes are small; and the tail ends in a hardened spine. It has vestigial pelvic girdles (small spurs at the rear of the body), a primitive feature retained from lizard ancestors. The family Aniliidae is considered one of the most basal living snake families.
Ecology
The Trinidad record is based on a single specimen and its occurrence here may represent a vagrant or a very small relict population. In South America it is a fossorial species of moist lowland forest, feeding on other snakes, caecilians, and amphisbaenians underground. Fully protected under COWA.
Threats
- Status in Trinidad uncertain; single record
- Habitat disturbance if present