Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

Convergent Evolution

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.The structures that arise from convergent evolution are called analogous structures. They are similar in function even if they are dissimilar in structure. Further, structures can be analogous while also...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers

Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers

A species is a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Typically, individuals of the same species appear similar and share common characteristics due to their highly similar genomes. However, not all organisms that look alike are members of the same species. Various mechanisms keep most species discrete. While some mechanisms prevent reproductive behavior and fertilization (pre-zygotic isolation), others prevent the production of fertile offspring after mating has...

Mate Choice

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2021

Same author

Specimen collection: an essential tool.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2014

Same author

Improving taxonomy for us and the other fishes.

Nature·2001

Same author

Perspectives: evolutionary biology. Limbless tetrapods and snakes with legs.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2001

Same author

Phylogeography of the pitviper clade Agkistrodon: historical ecology, species status, and conservation of cantils.

Molecular ecology·2000

Same author

Fang tip spread, puncture distance, and suction for snake bite.

Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology·2000

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Using Enclosed Y-Mazes to Assess Chemosensory Behavior in Reptiles

Using Enclosed Y-Mazes to Assess Chemosensory Behavior in Reptiles

Published on: April 7, 2021

Coral snake mimicry: does it occur?

H W Greene, R W McDiarmid

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|September 11, 1981

Summary

Harmless snakes mimic venomous ones, according to new evidence. Color patterns across large areas support this coral snake mimicry hypothesis, challenging prior doubts.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Zoology
Herpetology

Background:

The coral snake mimicry hypothesis proposes that harmless snakes evolve to resemble venomous coral snakes to deter predators.
Previous objections have questioned the validity and geographic scope of this mimicry.
Understanding mimicry provides insights into predator-prey dynamics and evolutionary pressures.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate and refute previous objections to the coral snake mimicry hypothesis.
To provide strong evidence supporting the mimicry relationship between harmless and venomous snakes.
To analyze color pattern variation in relation to potential mimicry models.

Main Methods:

Field observations of snake populations and their interactions.

More Related Videos

Chemical Isolation, Quantification, and Separation of Skin Lipids from Reptiles

Chemical Isolation, Quantification, and Separation of Skin Lipids from Reptiles

Published on: February 7, 2019

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

Published on: August 31, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Using Enclosed Y-Mazes to Assess Chemosensory Behavior in Reptiles

Using Enclosed Y-Mazes to Assess Chemosensory Behavior in Reptiles

Published on: April 7, 2021

Chemical Isolation, Quantification, and Separation of Skin Lipids from Reptiles

Chemical Isolation, Quantification, and Separation of Skin Lipids from Reptiles

Published on: February 7, 2019

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

In Situ Hybridization Techniques for Paraffin-Embedded Adult Coral Samples

Published on: August 31, 2018

Experimental evidence to test predator responses to mimicry patterns.

Analysis of geographic color pattern variation across extensive regions.

Main Results:

Field observations and experimental data contradict earlier criticisms of the mimicry hypothesis.
Consistent color pattern similarities were found over hundreds of miles.
Several colubrid snakes, previously considered non-mimics, show strong resemblance to venomous elapids.

Conclusions:

The coral snake mimicry hypothesis is strongly supported by new evidence.
Harmless or mildly venomous colubrid snakes are confirmed mimics of highly venomous elapids.
Geographic consistency in color patterns reinforces the evolutionary significance of mimicry.