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Posted by bobl on March 26, 2003 at 15:12:26:
In Reply to: Some of the largest colubrids...... posted by chrish on March 26, 2003 at 01:04:35:
:":The largest "modern" snakes, in terms of evolutionary biology...are ALL snake eaters."
:I don't know what the list of largest colubrids would be, but certainly you would have to include (just a few that exceed 8feet, off the top of my head)
:Ptyas - 10ft+ - Eat anything that comes in front of them.
:Elaphe taeniura - 9ft+ - rodent and bird eaters
:Cribos/indigos - 8ft+ - generalists that will eat almost anything
:Pituophis sp. - 8ft+ rodent eaters
:Elaphe obsoleta - 8ft - rodents and birds
:Elaphe quatuorlineata - 8ft - rodents
:Coluber jugulars - to nearly 10ft - mainly small mammals
:Masticophis mentovarius - up to 8ft - anything it catches
:Masticophis flagellum - up to 8ft - anything it catches
:Pseudaspis cana - 8ft - rodents
:Boiga sp. - some big boiga can exceed 8ft - birds and mammals, mostly
:Clelia clelia - 8ft (I think)- finally a confirmed snake eater!
:Just a few examples off the top of my head of some of the largest colubrids. I only see a single snake specialist on that list (the Mussurana). Indigos will eat snakes, but they will eat anything. I don't consider them snake specialists.
:It is true that some of the larger elapids are snake eaters, but so are many of the smaller elapids. In this case, it could be that elapids are snake eaters in general and some just get big.
:Note that the few pythons that are snake eaters (Aspidites) are relatively small species.
How about King Cobras!
Those are the biggest of all snake eaters and they will hunt and eat only other snakes.
The Mussuranas are primarily snake eaters that will feed on other prey items. Even in captivity they will feed on mammals whereas the King Cobras will not.
