Do Pipe Snakes Look Like Pipes?

Yes, they do look a bit like pipes and that is where they derive their name. Pipe snakes inhabit South America and south east Asia and their cylindrical bodies are the same thickness from heat to tail. They are usually black in colour and are found in burrows in damp soil.

The red tailed pipe snake burrows in the rice paddie fields of China and is known there as the two-headed snake. This is because when it is threatened it raises its tail in the air and moves it just in the same way as it moves its head. This is to divert potential predators into thinking there are two snakes and maybe more than they can take on.

While distracting the predator, the pipe snake takes its opportunity to strike. A the same time it flashes the bright red colouring on the underside of its tail to add to the scare tactics. This behaviour is frequently successful against birds of prey.

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