The Red Pipesnake of Northern South America

The red pipesnake is one of the most fascinating snakes on the planet. Found only in the upper half of South America, red pipesnake prefer moistened soil and heavy leaf litter among the tropical forests for their habitat. This allows the red pipe snake to burrow into the ground in search of their favorite foods.

Unlike many other snakes, the red pipesnake has poor eyesight. They have extra tiny eyes primarily because they are burrowing snakes. They also lack the heat sensitive pits used by many other tropical snakes to locate their food. For this reason, the red pipesnake must depend upon excellent hearing to find their food.

The red pipesnake loves to eat worms, lizards, snakes, rodents and even the occasional eel. The red pipesnake is not averse to occasionally going into the water in search of a meal.

The red pipesnake has beautiful coloration and patterns throughout the length of its body. It has an alternating pattern of black and red stripes that are extremely vivid. These bright colors allow the red pipesnake to ape other venomous snakes of the world such as the coral snakes. Many predators will see the bright colors and quickly retreat.

The red pipesnake usually grows to about 40 to 45 inches. While not unusually long or thick, their burrowing lifestyle affords them a pretty safe existence. They are rarely seen above the surface by human beings. These secretive reptiles will burrow under the leaf litter or into the deep, moist soil of the tropical forest at the first sign of danger or intruders.

The red pipesnake survives in a very dangerous place. They are what many term to be a false coral snake. The reason for this name is the bright coloration that resembles those venomous reptiles. In the tropical forest and largely throughout the world, bright coloration usually equals a venomous or poisonous species. This survival method has always fascinated me and the red pipesnake is a perfect example of its execution.

Like many smaller snakes throughout the world, the red pipesnake has had to learn to survive through adaptation and ingenuity. They are a wonderful example of nature overcoming the odds and prospering in a dangerous new world.