View allAll Photos Tagged toxins
It is seems to have been a good year for cinnabar moth caterpillars. They can be found in their hundreds munching away on yellow-flowered ragwort, and their bold black-and-gold stripes make them easy to identify.
They are the cinnabar caterpillar’s main food plant and ragwort supports many other insect species and is also an important source of nectar. It is toxic and known to poison horses and other livestock if eaten, particularly via contaminated hay. The toxins within the growing plant make it so bitter and unpalatable that it is usually avoided but the cinnabar caterpillars feast upon ragwort without ill effect. They benefit from its toxicity and eat enough of it to become toxic themselves with their colourful stripes a warning to predators: I’m poisonous and taste terrible, don’t try to eat me!
It takes about a month for them to develop fully, at which point they will descend to ground level ready to pupate. They will remain here all winter, safe inside their cocoons, and complete their metamorphosis the following spring to emerge as beautiful black and red adults. They are brightly coloured for the same reason as the caterpillars, since the ragwort’s toxins remain in their bodies and still provide an effective defence against predators.
I posted a shot of the adult moth about six weeks ago so just check in my photostream
All alone in the dark...
Arothron stellatus is a medium-sized fish which grows up to 120 cm (47 in) in length. Its body is oval shaped, spherical and relatively elongated. The skin is not covered with scales but is prickly. The fish has no pelvic fin and no lateral line. The dorsal fin and the anal fin are small, symmetric, and located at the rear end of the body. The head is large with a short snout that has two pairs of nostrils, and the mouth is terminal with four strong teeth.
The background coloration goes from white to grey, and the body is harmoniously dotted with black spots. The ventral area is usually clearer. The size of the spots is inversely proportional to the size of the fish; thus, a young individual will have large spots and adults of maximal size will have small spots. The juveniles have a yellowish body background coloration with dark stripes. The young adults still have stripes on the ventral area that will turn to spots later, and also some recollection of yellow on the body. Arothron stellatus feeds on benthic invertebrates, sponges, algae, the polyps of corals such as Acropora, crustaceans and mollusks.
This pufferfish is diurnal. It is mainly solitary and defends a territory. Arothron stellatus contains a highly toxic poison, tetrodotoxin, in its ovaries and to a lesser extent its skin and liver, which protects it from voracious predators. It becomes toxic as it eats bacteria that contain the toxin. To ward off potential enemies, they can inflate their bodies by swallowing air or water. (Wikipedia)
Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
www.istockphoto.com/fr/portfolio/sonja-ooms
This red wasp was parasitised by an Ophiocordyceps fungus mid summer of 2019. The fungus caused the wasp to find an open spot to latch onto, and then the fungus began sending out it's fruiting bodies. The wasp would have been alive for a while before it died, either from toxins from the fungus or from the fungus intruding into it's body cavity, or from not being able to feed.
Boats Too Costly to Keep Are Littering Coastlines
New York times:
Boat owners are abandoning ship.
They often sandpaper over the names and file off the registry numbers, doing their best to render the boats, and themselves, untraceable. Then they casually ditch the vessels in the middle of busy harbors, beach them at low tide on the banks of creeks or occasionally scuttle them outright.
The bad economy is creating a flotilla of forsaken boats. While there is no national census of abandoned boats, officials in coastal states are worried the problem will only grow worse as unemployment and financial stress continue to rise. Several states are even drafting laws against derelicts and say they are aggressively starting to pursue delinquent owners.
“Our waters have become dumping grounds,” said Maj. Paul R. Ouellette of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “It’s got to the point where something has to be done.”
Derelict boats are environmental and navigational hazards, leaking toxins and posing obstacles for other craft, especially at night. Thieves plunder them for scrap metal. In a storm, these runabouts and sailboats, cruisers and houseboats can break free or break up, causing havoc.
the only good thing is we photographers turn them into ART.
texture by ipiccy.com and me
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
'The distribution range of these the most colourful of eagles stretch down into the north and north-east edges of South Africa. They are now found rarely outside of protected areas and are considered ‘Vulnerable’ in the Red Data Book. They hunt mostly mammals, but also scavenge. This renders them, along with vultures, vulnerable to poisoning as they may feed on carcasses laced with toxins. They spend most of their time soaring at low altitudes in a slow rocking motion and can cover as much as 300km daily. Their long, bow-shaped wings turn up at the ends and flank a noticeably short tail. Their legs and feet actually extend past the end of their tail in flight – a clue when trying to identify them. Their full adult plumage is acquired only after 7 or 8 years when they become territorial and loyal to a single partner. Bateleurs are one of the few raptors that ‘allopreen’ (groom each other) and consequently quite like a scratch behind their head.'
This caterpillar absorbs toxins from the host plants, and therefore tastes poor to bird predators.[9] The black swallowtail caterpillar has an orange "forked gland", called the osmeterium. When in danger, the osmeterium, which looks like a snake's tongue, everts and releases a foul smell to repel predators.
Its caterpillar is called the parsley worm because the caterpillar feeds on parsley.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_polyxenes
Columbia, South Carolina
The photo shows an American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) attempting to conceal itself among a cluster of diminutive mushrooms (Xeromphalina campanella).
American toads are capable of subtly changing their skin color to better blend with their surroundings. The rough, warty texture of their skin also helps to break up their outline for added camouflage.
When threatened, these toads may inflate their bodies to appear larger and secrete skin toxins to deter predators by tasting unpleasant or causing irritation.
American toads are primarily nocturnal and feed on insects, worms, and other small invertebrates.
West Quebec, Canada, July 2025
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The rice paper butterfly, also called the paper kite butterfly, wood nymph, or tree nymph (Idea leuconoe) is a distinctive black and white butterfly. The wingspan is 95-110mm across.
The larval wood nymphs are similar to monarch caterpillars in that they feed on plants in the Apocenaceae (dogbane) and Asclepiadaceae (milkweed) families. Also like the monarchs, giant wood nymphs are distasteful to predators, and they derive this protection from the toxins produced by their host plants.
Idea leuconoe on purple Quechualia fulta
Wings of the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL
Ageratina altissima
Aster Family
The "Milk Sickness" plant. The toxins in the plant are passed along in the milk of dairy cows that happen to eat this plant.
The eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescensis) is widely distributed in east North America and inhabits aquatic environments such as lakes, ponds and streams. The jeuvenile stage, known as an eft, is a land dwelling migratory phase and its bright orange colour serves to warn potential predators of its high toxity. The eft's toxin (called tetrodotoxin) is a potent neurotoxin and strong emetic. Efts may travel long distances to disperse the species and occupy new aquatic habitats.
For more information see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_newt
and
www.dec.ny.gov/animals/67022.html
Photo taken September 2023, East Quebec.
Camera: Sony alpha a7III
Lens: Meyer Optik Görlitz Oreston 50mm f1.8 M42 (1960's twin zebra version) fitted with improvised adapter, spacers and focusing helicoid.
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Shot at Sunny's with Toxin.
I love this image that Toxin shot! The depth of field, soft lights, it's quite glamorous.
Hello Everyone!
This is my first sighting of this rather fascinating bug which is native to North America. Also known as a Long Legged Assassin Bug, this insect is a predator of other insects. It lives on the leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs within forested areas. It hunts with sticky traps which are on its front legs. It will put its forelegs in the air, then wait for prey to come and get stuck! They most commonly prey on small insects like flies or wasps, but are also known to capture more sedentary insects such as caterpillars. Apparently their bites are very painful to humans because there are toxins in its saliva. Good thing I didn't try to touch it!
Thanks a million for stopping by and for your comments. I do appreciate hearing from you! Have a marvelous day!
©Copyright - Nancy Clark - All Rights Reserved
So, that cup of Tea
I offered to thee
May have had a strange taste
But in both your haste
You drank with such glee
Did not notice the change in me
As the toxins took hold
There is now One left so bold
To tell this tale
Belladonna's my name
Death is my game..
(sorry Bunny & LD)
Other common names are Foxglove and Witch's gloves. Digitalis purpurea, a beautiful summer plant is one of the most poisonous plants known to man, with just about every part of it containing deadly toxins.
Thanks to everyone who Faves my photos, leaves me comments and who follow me.
Pacific Sea Nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens) are carnivorous animals. They catch their prey using long toxic-filled tentacles. Because C. fuscescens cannot chase after prey, they must eat as they drift. By spreading their tentacles like a large net. When prey brushes up against the tentacles, thousands of toxins are released, launching barbed stingers which release a paralyzing toxin into the quarry. The oral arms begin digestion as they transport the prey into the sea nettle's mouth.
I could watch these jellyfish for hours as they propel themselves around their large tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Thanks for stopping by!
© Melissa Post 2023
The rice paper butterfly, also called the paper kite butterfly, wood nymph, or tree nymph (Idea leuconoe) is a distinctive black and white butterfly. The wingspan is 95-110mm across.
The larval wood nymphs are similar to monarch caterpillars in that they feed on plants in the Apocenaceae (dogbane) and Asclepiadaceae (milkweed) families. Also like the monarchs, giant wood nymphs are distasteful to predators, and they derive this protection from the toxins produced by their host plants.
Wings of the Tropics, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami FL
Taken at Sandy Camp Rd Wetlands Reserve, Lytton, Queensland.
The common crow or oleander butterfly belongs to a family of butterflies known as Danainae which comprises around 300 species. Due to its unpalatability it is usually observed gliding through the air with a minimum of effort. As caterpillars, this species sequesters toxins from its food plant which are passed on from larva to pupa to the adult.
Wikipedia
I believe this is a Viceroy butterfly. They're not easy to tell apart from a Monarch but that's the point. The latter like to feed on Milkweed, which this is clearly not. There is a white substance in the Milkweed that contains a chemical which is toxic to many animals--but not to Monarchs. This toxin carries over to the adult, and predators know to avoid eating Monarch butterflies because of this poison. Because Viceroys are a Monarchs look alike, they avoid being eaten too! It's a clever Mullerian Mimicry survival strategy and sure had me fooled.
Ever wonder where the name "butterfly" comes from? Well, I did and it evolved from "buttorfleoge" in Old English and evolved into "buterflie" or "boterflye" in Middle English. Another version was that witches disguised as butterflies stole butter back in the day. I like that explanation best. :)
I saw this beetle flying through the landscape and gently placed it on its host plant. Who could miss the little bright red meteor against the (now) dry, brown landscape! These beetles consume milkweed and incorporate the milkweed toxins into their tissues - thus the bright red warning coloration.
Santa Ysabel Open Space Preserve, San Diego County, California
June 3, 2021
The simple and elegant memorial to the 263 Staten Island residents who died on 9/11 and the WTC bombing in 1993.
A separate memorial near the site honors the 73 Staten Island
responders who have since died from exposure to the toxins downtown from the collapse of the buildings. Designed by architect Masayuki (Masa) Sono.
This memorial puts a face to a name. Inside the wings are profiles of each person; their date of birth; what they did and who they worked for. It reminds you of how we all play a part in making the world work.
Euploea core
Family: Nymphalidae
Order: Lepidoptera
This butterfly is found in Northern and Eastern Australia and in much of Asia.
It is unpalatable to predators as it sequesters toxins from plants. this defence is effective and other butterflies mimic the colouration in both Batesian and Mullerian complexes.
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This beauty landed on our Hydrangea bush and only allowed me to fire off a few shots before fluttering away.
I was afraid none of my captures would be focused and worth keeping, but fortunately one was good and worth posting :)
This species mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail, which birds avoid due to its toxins... Hence the mimicry here for its own defense!
A stack of 7 focus points at a single exposure level.
Aquilegia (common names: granny's bonnet or columbine) is a genus of about 60-70 species of perennial plants that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals of their flowers. The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle (aquila), because the shape of the flower petals, which are said to resemble an eagle's claw. The common name "columbine" comes from the Latin for "dove", due to the resemblance of the inverted flower to five doves clustered together. The Colorado Blue Columbine (A. caerulea) is the official state flower of Colorado. Large numbers of hybrids are available for the garden, since the European A. vulgaris was hybridized with other European and North American varieties. Aquilegia species are very interfertile, and will self-sow. Some varieties are short-lived so are better treated as biennials.
Hypholoma fasciculare, commonly known as the sulphur tuft or clustered woodlover - zwavelkopje - , is a common woodland mushroom, often in evidence when hardly any other mushrooms are to be found. This saprotrophic small gill fungus grows prolifically in large clumps on stumps, dead roots or rotting trunks of broadleaved trees.
The "sulphur tuft" is bitter and poisonous; consuming it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions. The toxins are steroids known as fasciculols and have been shown to be calmodulin inhibitors. (Wikipedia) Meerdaal bos Leuven, Belgium
www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/sonja-ooms
Taken at Melbourne WTP, Victoria.
Straw-necked ibises feed primarily on aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, although their diets can vary.
Compared to the Australian white ibis, they have not adapted to a wide variety of food and are only rarely opportunistic scavengers of human waste. Citizen scientists have reported seeing them eat cane toads (Bufo marinus), avoiding being poisoned by flicking the toads about until they release the toxin which is their defence mechanism, then taking them to a creek to wash them.
Wikipedia.
Mad honey, also known as grayanotoxin honey, is a rare and unique honey variety produced by bees that collect nectar from specific rhododendrons and azalea flowers in the Himalayas of Nepal above 8000 ft. These flowers contain grayanotoxins, natural toxins that give honey its psychoactive properties and potential health benefits.
Fall doesn't come easy to the Bay Area. While the rest of the country has started dusting out it's woolens... We still have days in the nineties. But the nights are cooler. And that is enough to coax some eager leaves to release their toxins and change colors.
The scientific name Falco columbarius refers to the merlin, a small, fierce falcon found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Once known as the "pigeon hawk," this raptor is a swift and agile hunter, often found in open areas and even urban settings.
Identification 👀
* Size and build: Merlins are small but powerful falcons, larger than an American kestrel but smaller than a crow.
* Color: Plumage varies by subspecies and gender.
Adult males typically have a bluish-gray back and wings, a faintly streaked breast, and a banded tail.
Females and juveniles are browner on their upper parts and have more pronounced streaking on their underparts.
* Distinctive markings: They possess yellow legs and a pale throat and eyebrow. Unlike other falcons, they lack a prominent mustache stripe on their face.
* Flight: Merlins fly with quick, powerful wingbeats and seldom soar.
Habitat and range 🏡
* Breeding habitat: During the nesting season, merlins prefer open to semi-open areas, including forest edges, woodlands, prairies, and tundra.
* Urban areas: In recent decades, merlins have adapted to city life, nesting in urban and suburban areas and hunting the abundant small birds found there.
Migration and wintering: Most populations are migratory, moving south for the winter. During this time, they occupy a variety of open habitats, such as grasslands, coastal marshes, and farmland.
* Holarctic distribution: Their range spans the Northern Hemisphere, covering northern North America and Eurasia.
Diet and hunting 🍔
* Primary prey: Merlins are carnivores that specialize in hunting small- to medium-sized birds, such as sparrows, finches, and shorebirds. House sparrows are common prey in urban environments.
* Hunting technique: They hunt by ambushing their prey, often flying low and fast to surprise it. Most prey is caught in midair after a high-speed chase. Pairs sometimes hunt cooperatively.
* Varied diet: They also feed on large insects, particularly dragonflies, as well as small mammals like voles and bats, and even reptiles.
Reproduction 👩❤️👨
* Nesting sites: Merlins do not build their own nests. Instead, they reuse abandoned nests built by other birds, such as crows, ravens, or magpies. They may also nest in tree cavities, on cliff ledges, or on the ground.
* Clutch: The female typically lays 4 to 5 rusty brown eggs.
* Parental care: The female performs most of the incubation, which lasts about a month. The male provides food for the female and nestlings.
* Fledging: Young merlins fledge about a month after hatching but remain dependent on their parents for several more weeks.
Conservation status ⛑️
* Global status: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has designated the merlin as a species of "Least Concern".
* Recovery from pesticides: Merlin populations experienced significant declines during the mid-20th century due to pesticides like DDT. Since the ban of these chemicals, populations in North America and Europe have largely recovered.
* Threats: Current threats include continued exposure to environmental toxins and habitat loss in some areas. However, their increasing ability to adapt to urban settings has helped to offset some of these concerns.
American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana)
These caterpillars may appear cute and fuzzy, but they are toxic. When a person comes into contact with the hairs of an American Dagger Moth, the hairs break off of the caterpillar and embed into the skin of the person. These hairs are connected to glands just below the surface of the caterpillar's skin which produce toxins known to cause a variety of skin irritations.
Thank you so much for your visits, faves and comments!
Another view of the Laburnum Arch at Bodnant Garden.
Laburnum is sometimes called Golden Chain or Golden Rain.
All parts of the plant are poisonous. The main toxin is cytisine, a nicotinic receptor agonist.
Its dome-shaped bell can reach 25 cm (10 in) in diameter and, in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, the rim is sometimes colored with brown pigment. In the Pacific, this jellyfish can also be a blue pigment. Underneath the body is a cluster of oral arms that extend out around the mouth. These arms function in propulsion and as an aid in catching prey. Cannonballs eat mainly zooplankton and also all forms of red drum larvae. Although cannonballs do not commonly sting humans, they do have toxins which can cause cardiac problems in animals and humans. Also it is harmful to the eyes; contact with a nematocyst can be very painful, followed by redness and swelling.
Las orugas (larvas) están cubiertas de pelos urticantes que se desprenden y flotan en el aire, por lo que pueden provocar irritación en oídos, nariz y garganta en los seres humanos, así como intensas reacciones alérgicas. La sustancia que le confiere esta capacidad urticante es una toxina termolábil denominada Thaumatopina.
A green and black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus) perched on a mossy log, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica. When disturbed, the frogs can excrete toxic alkaloids that, when injected (e.g., via an arrow head), can cause paralysis and convulsions. The toxins are not active when ingested by mouth.
29/05/2022 www.allenfotowild.com
Quite by accident I managed to capture both of these species in a single frame. Despite the color differences, they’re very much related. They’re both “longwing” butterflies. The one feeding on the right is the appropriately named zebra longwing, while the dazzlingly-hued one on the left is a gulf fritillary.
As caterpillars both species rely exclusively on passionflower vines as host plants. Notably, such vines contain toxins harmful to many herbivores. Because the caterpillars sequester the toxins, the adult butterflies inherit a built-in defense against potential predators.
In the case of the zebra longwings, their black-and-white striped pattern serves as an aposematic signal—a warning coloration indicating toxicity. The gulf fritillaries release odorous chemicals in response to predator sightings. Predators learn to avoid these butterflies.
Both species are annual Florida migrants to and from my area.
Cypress Gardens, Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Shot at Sunny's with Toxin.
Loving this shot in front of the window! Hope everyone has an amazing holiday season :)
Ommatius coeraebus
Family: Asilidae
Order: Diptera
There are 17 known species of the genus Ommatius, the plume tops, in Australia. Although a couple have some similarities, only coeraebus is recorded in south NSW.
Note the "beard" of setae around the face, neck and rostrum. It is believed that these setae provide some protection from damage by their prey.
They are active predators, mainly of flying insects, and they appear to be unselective in prey species. Their prey does include members of their own species, often with a female predating a smaller male that attempted to mate. Their long legs can be used to capture other insects in flight.
In this case, the prey is small Crane Fly. The prey has been pierced with the rostrum, allowing the Robber Fly to inject it with a cocktail of proteolytic enzymes and neurotoxins. The liquified contents of the fly will then be sucked up through the rostrum.
The cocktail of toxins include molecules that have not been found elsewhere, indicating that Asilidae toxins emerged from a unique evolutionary pathway
(Drukewitz et al, 2018).
The two insects have been recorded in separate iNaturalist observations:
inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/263037364
inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/263037071
I photographed the same species 20 kilometres away predating on a small Thynnid wasp:
www.flickr.com/photos/philipnsw/54406966134/in/dateposted/
References:
Drukewitz SH, Fuhrmann N, Undheim EAB, Blanke A, Giribaldi J, Mary R, Laconde G, Dutertre S, von Reumont BM. A Dipteran's Novel Sucker Punch: Evolution of Arthropod Atypical Venom with a Neurotoxic Component in Robber Flies (Asilidae, Diptera). Toxins (Basel). 2018 Jan 5;10(1):29. doi: 10.3390/toxins10010029. PMID: 29303983; PMCID: PMC5793116.
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The common tiger is one of the common butterflies of India, Southeast Asia and South China. It belongs to the "crows and tigers", that is, the Danainae group of the brush-footed butterflies family. Other names for this butterfly include the Indian Monarch and Orange Tiger. This is a common butterfly in Hong Kong.
The wingspan is 70 to 95 millimetres (2.8 to 3.7 in). Both sexes of the butterfly have tawny wings with veins marked with broad black bands. The butterfly resembles the closely-related monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) of the Americas.
Members of this genus are leathery, tough to kill and fake death. Since they are unpleasant to smell and taste, they are soon released by the predators, recover and fly off soon thereafter.
The butterfly sequesters toxins from plants of the family Asclepiadaceae. To advertise their unpalatability, the butterfly has prominent markings with a striking colour pattern.
Thank you for your interest, views, faves, comments and awards ! This image was captured in Hong Kong 香港. (Best viewed on a larger screen.)
© This Image is under full copyright Rick C. Graham. © All rights reserved Rick C. Graham. © This image is subject to international copyright laws and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transferred or manipulated without the express written permission of Rick C. Graham.
I've wanted a picture of this at sunset, with no people around for a long time, and I finally got it the other day. I actually got quite a few, and had a hard time deciding which one to post. I just may have to post some more. I've found that persistence, and a fake sign warning the public of deadly toxins pays off...
My Website: Craig Sterken Photography
Copyright © 2010 - Craig Sterken. All rights reserved.
Hypholoma fasciculare, commonly known as the sulphur tuft or clustered woodlover - zwavelkopje - , is a common woodland mushroom, often in evidence when hardly any other mushrooms are to be found. This saprotrophic small gill fungus grows prolifically in large clumps on stumps, dead roots or rotting trunks of broadleaved trees.
The "sulphur tuft" is bitter and poisonous; consuming it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions. The toxins are steroids known as fasciculols and have been shown to be calmodulin inhibitors. (Wikipedia) Meerdaal bos Leuven
A juvenile smooth trunkfish (Lactophrys triqueter), about the size of a walnut. Unlike the stealth fighter they resemble, they can't move very fast (even their Latin name recognizes their triangle shape). But they are remarkably maneuverable, bopping and swishing about coral heads as they sway in the surge, making them a fun challenge to photograph.
They feed by blowing water through their mouth which stirs up in the sand mollusks, worms and such. Hence, the constant "kissy face" look.
Although they can't swim away from potential predators easily, they have a potent defense - they can excrete a toxic substance when stressed. As far as I know, no ostracitoxins were released for this image capture.
Hypholoma fasciculare, commonly known as the sulphur tuft or clustered woodlover - zwavelkopje - , is a common woodland mushroom, often in evidence when hardly any other mushrooms are to be found. This saprotrophic small gill fungus grows prolifically in large clumps on stumps, dead roots or rotting trunks of broadleaved trees.
The "sulphur tuft" is bitter and poisonous; consuming it can cause vomiting, diarrhea and convulsions. The toxins are steroids known as fasciculols and have been shown to be calmodulin inhibitors. (Wikipedia)
Meerdaal bos Leuven, Belgium
www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/sonja-ooms
"Look Ma, no hands!" This is not a stunt that I'll be trying out at home anytime soon😁. This boldly-marked and brightly-colored monarch caterpillar doesn't have to worry about being eaten by a bird because it's poisonous to them, thanks to the glycoside toxins in the milkweed leaves it eats.
The keeback is active during the day (diurnal) and the night (nocturnal) depending on the temperature. It uses its keeled scales to grip onto slippery surfaces when travelling over mud or vegetation. When it stops moving, the keelback hides under plants, timber or in empty burrows. Keelbacks are harmless, however, they can easily be confused with a highly venomous snake called the rough-scaled snake Tropidechis carinatus.
Keelbacks only feed on vertebrates, such as frogs, tadpoles and lizards. They use their sharp backward curved teeth to seize their prey. Unlike other snakes who eat their prey head first, keelbacks consume their prey from the rear. They have a limited immunity to toad toxins and can successfully prey on small to medium sized cane toads.
The keelback is an egg layer and produces clutches of up to 18 eggs.
In central Mexico, where monarch butterflies and Black-headed Grosbeaks both spend the winter, the grosbeaks are one of the butterflies' few predators. Toxins in the monarch make them poisonous to most birds, but Black-headed Grosbeaks and a few others can eat them. They feed on monarchs in roughly 8-day cycles, apparently to give themselves time to eliminate the toxins. (Cornell)
Photographed on the Grand Mesa, Western Slope, Colorado.