Erythrolamprus aesculapii
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Erythrolamprus aesculapii, also known commonly as the Aesculapian false coral snake, the South American false coral snake, and in Portuguese as bacorá, or falsa-coral, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to South America.
The specific name, aesculapii, refers to Aesculapius, the Greek mythological god of medicine, who is depicted with a snake-entwined staff. Erythrolamprus aesculapii belongs to the genus Erythrolamprus, which contains over 50 species. The genus Erythrolamprus belongs to the subfamily Dipsadinae, which is sometimes referred to as the family Dipsadidae.
Molecular phylogenetic DNA analysis has shown that Erythrolamprus aesculapii is likely paraphyletic, as shown in the cladogram below of Erythrolamprus species located in northern South America: E. aesculapii is found in the Amazon rainforest of South America. It is also found on the island of Trinidad (in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). E. aesculapii is often found in the leaf litter or burrowing in the soil in rain forests, at altitudes from sea level to 2,300 m (7,500 ft).... Wikipedia →
Recording0:34
Brazil · 2024
© Marco Silva · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iguazú National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Iguaçu National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snakeroom Serpentarium | 🇪🇸 Spain |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Aesculapian False Coral Snake sighting in Iguazú National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 18 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July and December
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Aesculapian False Coral Snake in Iguazú National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–June, August–September and November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Aesculapian False Coral Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Aesculapian False Coral Snake sightings, Iguazú National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Iguaçu National Park (Brazil, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Aesculapian False Coral Snake that you can see in Iguazú National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Chicken Snake (about 20%), Lichtenstein's Green Racer (about 10%) and Forest Flame Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Aesculapian False Coral Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Iguazú National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
