Emsleyan mimicry

The deadly Texas coral snake, Micrurus tener (the Emsleyan/Mertensian mimic)
The harmless Mexican milk snake, Lampropeltis triangulum annulata (the Batesian mimic)

Emsleyan mimicry, also called Mertensian mimicry, describes an unusual type of mimicry where a deadly prey mimics a less dangerous species.[1]

  1. ^ Pasteur, G. (1982). "A Classificatory Review of Mimicry Systems". Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 13: 169–199. doi:10.1146/annurev.es.13.110182.001125. JSTOR 2097066.