The striped colour pattern and striped/non-striped polymorphism in snakes (Reptilia: Ophidia)

A study of striped color patterns and of the striped/non-striped polymorphism system in snakes reveals that the stripped pattern is mostly found in the family Colubridae. The stripped pattern indicates that the Colubridae adopts an active escape behavior strategy. The striped/non-striped polymorphism of the snakes depend on the type of the habitat. The striped morph is present in snakes with active escape behavior that requires camouflage. The non-striped feature is dominant in snakes which require the process of thermoregulation for physiological purposes.