The
coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be subdivided into two distinct groups,
Old WorldThe Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
coral snakes and
New WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
coral snakes. There are 11
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of Old World coral snake in one
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
(
CalliophisCalliophis is a genus of venomous elapid snakes known commonly as oriental coral snakes or Asian coral snakes.Species in this genus are:* Calliophis beddomei M.A. Smith, 1943– Beddome's Coral Snake...
), and over 65 recognized species of New World coral snakes in three genera (Leptomicrurus, Micruroides, and Micrurus).
North American coloration patterns
Coral snakes are most notable for their red, yellow/white, and black colored banding. (However, several
nonvenomousSnake venom is highly modified saliva that is produced by special glands of certain species of snakes. The glands which secrete the zootoxin are a modification of the parotid salivary gland of other vertebrates, and are usually situated on each side of the head below and behind the eye,...
species have similar coloration, including the scarlet snake, genus
CemophoraCemophora coccinea is a nonvenomous species of colubrid snake commonly known as the scarlet snake. It is the only member of its genus. They are native to the southeastern United States. There are three subspecies of C. coccinea.- Description :...
, some of the
kingsnakeKingsnakes are a type of colubrid snake that are members of the Lampropeltis genus, which also includes the milk snake along with another four species and 45 sub-species....
s and
milk snakeThe milk snake or milksnake is a species of king snake. There are 25 subspecies among the milk snakes, including the commonly named scarlet kingsnake...
s, genus Lampropeltis, and the shovelnose snakes, genus Chionactis.) In some regions, the order of the bands distinguishes between the non-venomous mimics and the venomous coral snakes, inspiring some folk rhymes — "Red on yellow, kill a fellow; "Red on black, friend of Jack"; and "Red into black, venom lack; red into yellow, kill a fellow." However, this reliably applies only to coral snakes native to North America:
Micrurus fulviusMicrurus fulvius is a venomous elapid snake that is found in the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico. It should not be confused with the scarlet snake or scarlet kingsnake , which are harmless mimics...
(Eastern or common coral snake),
Micrurus tenerMicrurus tener, commonly known as the Texas coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake.-Geographic range:It ranges from the southern United States south to northeastern and central Mexico...
(Texas coral snake), and Micruroides euryxanthus (Arizona coral snake), found in the southern and western
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Coral snakes found in other parts of the world can have distinctly different patterns, have red bands touching black bands, have only pink and blue banding, or have no banding at all.
Most species of coral snake are small in size. North American species average around 3 feet (91.4 cm) in length, but specimens of up to 5 feet (152.4 cm) or slightly larger have been reported. Aquatic species have flattened tails acting as a fin, aiding in swimming.
Behavior
Coral snakes vary widely in their behavior, but most are very elusive,
fossorialA fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...
snakes which spend the vast majority of their time buried beneath the ground or in the leaf litter of a
rainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
floor, only coming to the surface while raining or during breeding season. Some species, like Micrurus surinamensis are almost entirely
aquaticAn aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all of its life. It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that...
and spend most of their lives in slow-moving bodies of water that have dense vegetation.
Like all elapid snakes, coral snakes use a pair of small fangs fixed in the front of their top jaw to deliver their venom. They feed on smaller snakes, lizards, frogs, and nestling birds and rodents etc. The venom takes time to fully take effect.
Coral snakes have a tendency to hold on to a victim when biting, unlike
viperThe Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
s which have retractable fangs and tend to prefer to strike and let go immediately. Coral snakes are not aggressive or prone to biting however, and account for less than one percent of the number of snake bites each year in the United States.
Most coral snake bites in the United States are legitimate
occurring because of accidental contact with the snake while engaged in an outdoor activity such as
gardeningGardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
.
Distribution
New World coral snakes exist in the southern range of many temperate U.S. states.
Coral Snakes are found in scattered localities in the southern Coastal Plain from North Carolina to Louisiana, including all of Florida. They can be found in pine and scrub oak sandhills habitats in parts of this range but sometimes inhabit hardwood areas and pine flatwoods that undergo seasonal flooding.
There is controversy about the classification of the very similar Texas coral snake as a separate species. Its habitat, in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, is separated from the eastern habitat by the Mississippi River. The coral snake population is most dense in the southeast United States, but coral snakes have been spotted as far north as Kentucky.
The Arizona coral snake, clearly a separate species and genus, is found in central and southern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico and southward to Sinaloa in western Mexico. It occupies arid and semiarid regions in many different habitat types including thornscrub, desert-scrub, woodland, grassland and farmland. It is found in the plains and lower mountain slopes from sea level to 5800 feet (1768 m); often found in rocky areas.
Danger to humans
New World coral snakes possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. Most venomous snakes must inject between 75–100 mg of venom to be fatal. However, relatively few bites are recorded due to their reclusive nature and the fact they generally inhabit sparsely populated areas. According to the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Institutes of Health, there are an average of 15-25 coral snake bites in the United States each year.
When confronted by humans, coral snakes will almost always attempt to flee, and bite only as a last resort. In addition, coral snakes have short
fangFang is a mammal's canine tooth.Fang may also refer to:* A snake's poison-injecting tooth: see snake venom* Fang people, in Central Africa* Fang language, spoken by Fang people...
s (proteroglyph dentition) that cannot penetrate thick leather clothing. Any skin penetration however, is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Coral snakes have a powerful
neurotoxinA neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
that paralyzes the breathing muscles; mechanical or artificial respiration, along with large doses of antivenom, are often required to save a victim's life. There is usually only mild pain associated with a bite, but respiratory failure can occur within hours.
The bite of a coral snake may soon become increasingly more dangerous, ironically because of the relatively few bites each year. Production of coral snake antivenom in the United States has ceased because it is not profitable. According to Pfizer, the owner of the company that used to make Coralmyn, it would take over $5–$10 million to put toward researching a new synthetic antivenom. The cost was just too large for the small number of cases presented each year. The current antivenin stock expired in 2010, after two consecutive expiration date extensions approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug AdministrationThe Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
. Foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers have produced other coral snake antivenoms, but the costs associated with licensing them in the United States have stalled availability (see above). Instituto Bioclon is developing a coral snake antivenin.
Taxonomy
Animalia,
Deuterostomia,
Chordata - Vertebrata - Gnathostomata,
Reptilia,
Squamata,
Serpentes,
Elapidae
Genus Calliophis
SpeciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
in this genus are:
- Calliophis beddomei M.A. Smith
Malcolm Arthur Smith was a herpetologist and physician working in the Malay Peninsula.-Early life:He was interested in reptiles and amphibians from an early age...
, 1943– Beddome's Coral SnakeBeddome's coral snake is a species of venomous elapid snake. It is named after Richard Henry Beddome , British army officer and naturalist.-References:...
- Calliophis bibroni
Bibron's coral snake is a species of venomous elapid snake. It is named after Gabriel Bibron , French zoologist.-Description:Eye minute, diameter about half its distance from mouth...
(JanGiorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858) – Bibron's Coral Snake
- Calliophis bivirgatus
Calliophis bivirgatus, or Maticora bivirgata, commonly called the blue Malaysian coral snake is a venomous elapid snake. It was first described, as a new species in scientific literature, by Friedrich Boie in 1827.-Geographic range:...
(F. BoieFriedrich Boie was a German scientist and brother of Heinrich Boie. He was born at Meldorf in Holstein and died at Kiel....
, 1827)– Blue Malaysian Coral Snake
- Calliophis gracilis Gray
John Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ....
, 1835 – Spotted Coral Snake (ThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia, IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
)
- Calliophis haematoetron E.N. Smith, Manamendra-Arachchi & Somweera, 2008 – Blood-bellied Coral Snake (Sri Lanka)
- Calliophis intestinalis
The Banded Malaysian Coral Snake Calliophis intestinalis is a species of venomous snake....
(LaurentiJosephus Nicolaus Laurenti was an Austrian naturalist of Italian origin.Laurenti is considered the auctor of the class Reptilia through his authorship of on the poisonous function of reptiles and amphibians...
, 1768) – Banded Malaysian Coral Snake (IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Malaysia)
- Calliophis maculiceps (Günther, 1858) – Speckled Coral Snake (Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, ThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaysia, VietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, CambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, LaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
)
- Calliophis melanurus
The Indian coral snake, Calliophis melanurus, is a species of venomous elapid snake.-Geographic range:It is found in India , Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.The race sinhaleyus is found in Sri Lanka.-References:...
(ShawGeorge Shaw was an English botanist and zoologist.Shaw was born at Bierton, Buckinghamshire and was educated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, receiving his M.A. in 1772. He took up the profession of medical practitioner. In 1786 he became the assistant lecturer in botany at Oxford University...
, 1802)– Indian Coral Snake
- Calliophis nigrescens
The black coral snake Calliophis nigrescens is a species of venomous snake.-Geographic range:It is found in India in the Western Ghats, Karwar, Wayanad, Nilgiris, Anamalai, and the Travancore hills at 4,000-6,000 feet ....
(Günther, 1862)– Black Coral Snake
Genus Leptomicrurus
- Guyana Blackback Coral Snake Leptomicrurus collaris - northern South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
- Leptomicrurus collaris collaris (Schlegel
Hermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1837)
- Leptomicrurus collaris breviventris (Roze & Bernal-Carlo, 1987)
- Andes/Andean Blackback Coral Snake, Leptomicrurus narduccii
- Leptomicrurus narduccii narduccii (Jan, 1863)
- Leptomicrurus narduccii melanotus (Peters
Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens...
, 1881)
Genus Micruroides
- Arizona Coral Snake, Micruroides euryxanthus - lowland regions from Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
to SinaloaSinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
.
- Micruroides euryxanthus australis (Zweifel & Norris, 1955)
- Micruroides euryxanthus euryxanthus (Kennicott
Robert Kennicott was an American naturalist.-Biography:Kennicott was born in New Orleans and grew up in "West Northfield" , Illinois, a town in the prairie north of the then nascent city of Chicago....
, 1860)
- Micruroides euryxanthus neglectus (Roze, 1967)
Genus Micrurus
- Allen's Coral Snake, Micrurus alleni - eastern Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Costa RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, and PanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
- Micrurus alleni alleni (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Micrurus alleni richardi (Taylor
Edward Harrison Taylor was an American herpetologist from Kansas.He was born in Maysville, Missouri and studied at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, graduating with a B.A. in 1912. Subsequently, he went to the Philippines, where at first he held a teacher's post in a village in central...
, 1951)
- Micrurus alleni yatesi (Taylor
Edward Harrison Taylor was an American herpetologist from Kansas.He was born in Maysville, Missouri and studied at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, graduating with a B.A. in 1912. Subsequently, he went to the Philippines, where at first he held a teacher's post in a village in central...
, 1954)
- Micrurus altirostris (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1860) - BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, UruguayUruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, and northeastern ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
- Regal Coral Snake, Micrurus ancoralis - southeastern Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, western ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and western EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
- Micrurus ancoralis jani (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Micrurus ancoralis ancoralis Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1872
- Annellated Coral Snake, Micrurus annellatus
Micrurus annellatus, commonly known as Annellated coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake native to southeastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, Bolivia, and western Brazil...
- southeastern EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, eastern PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, BoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, and western BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
- Micrurus annellatus annellatus (Peters
Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens...
, 1871)
- Micrurus annellatus balzanii (Boulenger
George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:...
, 1898)
- Micrurus annellatus bolivianus (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Black-headed Coral Snake, Micrurus averyi (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1939)
- Micrurus bernadi
Micrurus bernadi is a species of elapid snake, endemic to eastern Mexico, from eastern Hidalgo southward to northern Puebla and parts of northwestern Veracruz. There are currently no recognized subspecies.- References :...
(CopeEdward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1887) - MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
- Ecuadorian Coral Snake, Micrurus bocourti Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1872 - western EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
to northern ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
,
- Bogert's Coral Snake
Bogert's coral snake is a species of elapid snake, native to the Pacific coast of Oaxaca in Mexico. There are no recognized subspecies....
, Micrurus bogerti (RozeJanis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967) - OaxacaOaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
.
- Brown's Coral Snake, Micrurus browni
Micrurus browni, commonly known as Brown's coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake native to southwestern Mexico and Guatemala. There are three recognized subspecies, including the nominate subspecies described here.- Common names :...
- Quintana RooQuintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
to HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
- Micrurus browni browni Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
& H.M. Smith, 1943
- Micrurus browni importunus Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967
- Micrurus browni taylori Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
& H.M. Smith, 1943
- Micrurus camilae (Renjifo & Lundberg, 2003) - Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
- Catamayo Coral Snake, Micrurus catamayensis (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1989) - Catamayo Valley of EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
.
- Clark's Coral Snake, Micrurus clarki (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936) - southeastern Costa RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
to western ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
.
- Painted Coral Snake, Micrurus corallinus
Micrurus corallinus, commonly known as Painted coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake native to Brazil, Argentine, and Paraguay...
(MerremBlasius Merrem was a German naturalist.Merrem was born at Bremen, and studied at the university of Göttingen under Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. He developed an interest in zoology, particularly ornithology...
, 1820)
- Brazilian Coral Snake, Micrurus decoratus (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus diana (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1983)
- Variable Coral Snake, Micrurus diastema
The Variable coral snake is a species of venomous elapid snake, native to southeastern Mexico and northern Central America. There are seven recognized subspecies.- Distribution and habitat :M...
- Micrurus diastema diastema (Duméril
André Marie Constant Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became professor of herpetology and ichthyology...
, BibronGabriel Bibron was a French zoologist. He was born in Paris. Son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hired to collect vertebrates in Italy and Sicily. He classified a number of reptile species with André Marie Constant...
, & DumérilAuguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist...
, 1854)
- Micrurus diastema aglaeope (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1859)
- Micrurus diastema alienus (Werner
Franz Werner was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, insects, and other organisms....
, 1903)
- Micrurus diastema affinis (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus diastema apiatus (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus diastema macdougalli (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Micrurus diastema sapperi (Werner
Franz Werner was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, insects, and other organisms....
, 1903)
- Pygmy Coral Snake, Micrurus dissoleucus
- Micrurus dissoleucus dissoleucus (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1860)
- Micrurus dissoleucus dunni (Barbour
Thomas Barbour was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, 1923)
- Micrurus dissoleucus melanogenys (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1860)
- Micrurus dissoleucus meridensis (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1989)
- Micrurus dissoleucus nigrirostris (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1955)
- West Mexican Coral Snake, Micrurus distans
- Micrurus distans distans (Kennicott
Robert Kennicott was an American naturalist.-Biography:Kennicott was born in New Orleans and grew up in "West Northfield" , Illinois, a town in the prairie north of the then nascent city of Chicago....
, 1860)
- Micrurus distans michoacanensis (Dugės
Alfredo Dugès ; was a French-born, Mexican physician and naturalist who was born in Montpellier. He was the son of zoologist Antoine Louis Dugès...
, 1891)
- Micrurus distans oliveri (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Micrurus distans zweifeli (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Micrurus dumerilii
- Micrurus dumerilii dumerilii Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858
- Micrurus dumerilii antioquiensis (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Micrurus dumerilii carinicaudus (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Micrurus dumerilii colombianus (Griffin, 1916)
- Micrurus dumerilii transandinus (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Micrurus dumerilii venezuelensis (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1989)
- Elegant Coral Snake
The Elegant coral snake is a species of elapid snake, native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. There are two recognized subspecies:- Range and habitat :M...
, Micrurus elegans
- Micrurus elegans elegans (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus elegans veraepacis (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1933)
- Oaxacan Coral Snake
The Oaxacan coral snake is a species of elapid snake, endemic to Mexico. There are two recognized subspecies.- Distribution and habitat :M...
, Micrurus ephippifer
- Micrurus ephippifer zapotecus (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1989)
- Micrurus ephippifer ephippifer (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1886)
- Slender Coral Snake, Micrurus filiformis
- Micrurus filiformis filiformis (Günther, 1859)
- Micrurus filiformis subtilis (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Southern Coral Snake, Micrurus frontalis - Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to northeastern ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
- Micrurus frontalis frontalis (Duméril
André Marie Constant Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became professor of herpetology and ichthyology...
, BibronGabriel Bibron was a French zoologist. He was born in Paris. Son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hired to collect vertebrates in Italy and Sicily. He classified a number of reptile species with André Marie Constant...
, & DumérilAuguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist...
, 1854)
- Micrurus frontalis brasiliensis (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Micrurus frontalis mesopotamicus (Barrio & Miranda 1967)
- Bolivian Coral Snake, Micrurus frontifasciatus (Werner
Franz Werner was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, insects, and other organisms....
, 1927)
- Eastern Coral Snake, Micrurus fulvius
Micrurus fulvius is a venomous elapid snake that is found in the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico. It should not be confused with the scarlet snake or scarlet kingsnake , which are harmless mimics...
(Linnaeus, 1766) - coastal plains of North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
- Hemprich's Coral Snake, Micrurus hemprichii
- Micrurus hemprichii hemprichii (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus hemprichii ortoni (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1953)
- Micrurus hemprichii rondonianus (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
& Da Silva, 1990)
- Mayan Coral Snake, Micrurus hippocrepis
The Mayan coral snake is a species of elapid snake, native to Guatemala and Belize. There are no recognized subspecies....
(PetersWilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens...
, 1862)
- Caatinga Coral Snake, Micrurus ibiboboca (Merrem
Blasius Merrem was a German naturalist.Merrem was born at Bremen, and studied at the university of Göttingen under Johann Friedrich Blumenbach. He developed an interest in zoology, particularly ornithology...
, 1820)
- Venezuela Coral Snake, Micrurus isozonus (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1860)
- Langsdorff's Coral Snake, Micrurus langsdorffi
- Micrurus langsdorffi langsdorffi (Wagler
Johann Georg Wagler was a German herpetologist.Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and became Director of the Zoological Museum at the University of Munich after Spix's death in 1826...
, 1824)
- Micrurus langsdorffi ornatissimus (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Balsan Coral Snake, Micrurus laticollaris
- Micrurus laticollaris laticollaris (Peters
Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens...
, 1870)
- Micrurus laticollaris maculirostris (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Broad-ringed Coral Snake, Micrurus latifasciatus (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1933)
- South American Coral Snake, kayla lemniscatus - most of low lying areas of South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
- Micrurus lemniscatus lemniscatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Micrurus lemniscatus carvalhoi (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Micrurus lemniscatus diutius (Burger, 1955)
- Micrurus lemniscatus frontifasciatus (Werner
Franz Werner was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, insects, and other organisms....
, 1927)
- Micrurus lemniscatus helleri (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
& SchmidtFranklin J. W. Schmidt was an American naturalist, noted as one of the first practitioners of the field of "wildlife management". Hired by Wisconsin, Schmidt's main work was on the prairie grouse, and its habits in the central marshes of Wisconsin. He published one paper on feeding habits of the...
, 1925)
- Tuxtlan Coral Snake, Micrurus limbatus
- Micrurus limbatus limbatus (Fraser, 1964)
- Micrurus limbatus spilosomus (Perez-Higaredo & H.M. Smith, 1990)
- Speckled Coral Snake, Micrurus margaritiferus (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Micrurus medemi (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Mertens' Coral Snake, Micrurus mertensi (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Redtail Coral Snake, Micrurus mipartitus
- Micrurus mipartitus mipartitus (Duméril
André Marie Constant Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became professor of herpetology and ichthyology...
, BibronGabriel Bibron was a French zoologist. He was born in Paris. Son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hired to collect vertebrates in Italy and Sicily. He classified a number of reptile species with André Marie Constant...
, & DumérilAuguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist...
, 1854)
- Micrurus mipartitus anomalus (Boulenger
George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:...
, 1896)
- Micrurus mipartitus decussatus (Duméril
André Marie Constant Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became professor of herpetology and ichthyology...
, BibronGabriel Bibron was a French zoologist. He was born in Paris. Son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hired to collect vertebrates in Italy and Sicily. He classified a number of reptile species with André Marie Constant...
, & DumérilAuguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist...
, 1854)
- Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Many-banded Coral Snake, Micrurus multifasciatus
- Micrurus multifasciatus multifasciatus (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus multifasciatus hertwigi (Werner
Franz Werner was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, insects, and other organisms....
, 1897)
- Cauca Coral Snake, Micrurus multiscutatus (Rendahl & Vestergren, 1940)
- Cloud Forest Coral Snake, Micrurus nebularis (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1989)
- Central American Coral Snake, Micrurus nigrocinctus
Micrurus nigrocinctus, commonly known as the Central American coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake that ranges from southern Mexico through Central America to northwestern Colombia. There are six recognized subspecies, including the nominate subspecies described here.- Common names...
- YucatanYucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
and ChiapasChiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
to ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
as well as western CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands
- Micrurus nigrocinctus babaspul Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967
- Micrurus nigrocinctus coibensis Schmidt, 1936
- Micrurus nigrocinctus divaricatus (Hallowell, 1855)
- Micrurus nigrocinctus mosquitensis Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1933
- Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus (Girard
Charles Frédéric Girard was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology.Born in Mulhouse, France, he studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerland as a student of Louis Agassiz. In 1847, he accompanied Agassiz as his assistant to Harvard...
, 1854)
- Micrurus nigrocinctus ovandoensis Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
& H.M. Smith, 1943
- Micrurus nigrocinctus wagneri Mertens
Robert Mertens was a German herpetologist. The Robert Mertens' day gecko is a species named after him, and he also postulated Mertensian mimicry....
, 1941
- Micrurus nigrocinctus yatesi Dunn
Emmett Reid Dunn was an American herpetologist noted for his work in Panama and for studies of salamanders in the Eastern United States. He attended Haverford College as an undergraduate and received his PhD from Harvard University. After receiving his PhD taught at Smith College...
, 1942
- Micrurus nigrocinctus zunilensis Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1932
- Micrurus pacaraimae (Morata de Carvalho, 2002)
- Micrurus pachecogili (Campbell, 2000)
- Micrurus paraensis (Da Cunha
Osvaldo Rodrigues da Cunha was a Brazilian paleontologist and herpetologist.Da Cunha was born in Belém, and studied zoology at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia of Manaus.-Authored Taxa:...
& Nascimento, 1973)
- Peruvian Coral Snake, Micrurus peruvianus (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1936)
- Peters' Coral Snake, Micrurus petersi (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Nayarit Coral Snake, Micrurus proximans (H.M. Smith & Chrapliwy, 1958)
- Carib Coral Snake, Micrurus psyches
- Micrurus psyches circinalis (Duméril
André Marie Constant Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of anatomy at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle from 1801 to 1812, when he became professor of herpetology and ichthyology...
, BibronGabriel Bibron was a French zoologist. He was born in Paris. Son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hired to collect vertebrates in Italy and Sicily. He classified a number of reptile species with André Marie Constant...
& DumérilAuguste Henri André Duméril was a French zoologist. He was professor of Herpetology and Ichthyology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris from 1857. His father André Marie Constant Duméril was also a zoologist...
, 1854)
- Micrurus psyches donosoi (Hoge, Cordeiro, & Romano, 1976)
- Micrurus psyches psyches (Daudin
François Marie Daudin was a French zoologist.With legs paralyzed by childhood disease, he studied of physics and natural history, but ended up being devoted to the latter.Daudin wrote in 1799–1800...
, 1803)
- Putumayo Coral Snake, Micrurus putumayensis (Lancini, 1962)
- Micrurus pyrrhocryptus (Cope
Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1862)
- Micrurus remotus (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1987)
- Micrurus renjifoi (Lamar, 2003)
- Roatan Coral Snake
The Roatan coral snake is a critically endangered species of elapid snake, endemic to the island of Roatan in Honduras. There are no recognized subspecies....
, Micrurus ruatanus (Günther, 1895)
- Santander Coral Snake, Micrurus sangilensis (Nicéforo-Maria, 1942)
- Micrurus scutiventris (Hoge, & Romano-Hoge, 1966)
- Micrurus silviae Di-Bernardo et al., 2007
- Amazon Coral Snake, Micrurus spixii
- Micrurus spixii spixii (Wagler
Johann Georg Wagler was a German herpetologist.Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and became Director of the Zoological Museum at the University of Munich after Spix's death in 1826...
, 1824)
- Micrurus spixiii martiusi (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1953)
- Micrurus spixii obscurus (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1872)
- Micrurus spixii princeps (Boulenger
George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:...
, 1905)
- Micrurus spurelli (Boulenger
George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:...
, 1914)
- Steindachner's Coral Snake, Micrurus steindachneri
- Micrurus steindachneri steindachneri (Werner
Franz Werner was an Austrian zoologist and explorer. Specializing as a herpetologist and entomologist, Werner described numerous species and other taxa of frogs, snakes, insects, and other organisms....
, 1901)
- Micrurus steindachneri orcesi (Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967)
- Panamanian Coral Snake, Micrurus stewarti (Barbour
Thomas Barbour was an American herpetologist. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
& Amaral, 1928)
- Stuart's Coral Snake, Micrurus stuarti
Micrurus stuarti, commonly known as Stuart's coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake found in Guatemala. There are no recognized subspecies.- Common names :...
RozeJanis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967
- Aquatic Coral Snake, Micrurus surinamensis
- Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis (Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1817)
- Micrurus surinamensis nattereri (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
, 1952)
- Micrurus tamaulipensis (Lavin-Murcio & Dixon
Dr. James Ray Dixon is Professor Emeritus and Curator Emeritus of Amphibians and Reptiles at the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection at Texas A&M University. His main research focus has been the natural history of Texas amphibians and reptiles and he has authored numerous field guides and...
, 2004) - Sierra Madre OrientalThe Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
in TamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
.
- Texas Coral Snake, Micrurus tener
Micrurus tener, commonly known as the Texas coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake.-Geographic range:It ranges from the southern United States south to northeastern and central Mexico...
- TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
south to MorelosMorelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
and GuanajuatoGuanajuato officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guanajuato is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 46 municipalities and its capital city is Guanajuato....
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- Micrurus tener fitzingeri (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus tener maculatus Roze
Janis A. Roze, Ph.D., born in Latvia, is a herpetologist and Professor of Biology Emeritus of City College and Graduate School of the City University of New York. He was professionally associated with the American Museum of Natural History and the United Nations...
, 1967
- Micrurus tener microgalbineus Brown, & H.M. Smith, 1942
- Micrurus tener tener (Baird
Spencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
, & GirardCharles Frédéric Girard was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology.Born in Mulhouse, France, he studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerland as a student of Louis Agassiz. In 1847, he accompanied Agassiz as his assistant to Harvard...
, 1853)
- Micrurus tricolor (Hoge, 1956)
- Desert Coral Snake, Micrurus tschudii (Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858)
- Micrurus tschudii olssoni (Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
& SchmidtFranklin J. W. Schmidt was an American naturalist, noted as one of the first practitioners of the field of "wildlife management". Hired by Wisconsin, Schmidt's main work was on the prairie grouse, and its habits in the central marshes of Wisconsin. He published one paper on feeding habits of the...
, 1925)
- Micrurus tschudii tschudii Jan
Giorgio Jan was an Italian taxonomist, zoologist, botanist, herpetologist, and writer. He is also known as Georg Jan or Georges Jan....
, 1858
Mimicry
New World coral snakes serve as models for their Batesian mimics, False coral snakes, snake species whose venom is less toxic, as well as for many nonvenomous snake species that bear superficial resemblances to them. The role of coral snakes as models for Batesian mimics is supported by research showing that coral snake color patterns deter predators from attacking snake-shaped prey, and that in the absence of coral snakes, species hypothesized to mimic them are indeed attacked more frequently. Species that appear similar to coral snakes include:
- Cemophora coccinea
- Chionactis palarostris
The Sonoran shovelnose snake is a small nonvenomous colubrid which is a native of the Sonoran Desert. The specific name, palarostris, is from Latin: pāla and rōstrum...
- Erythrolamprus aesculapii
Erythrolamprus aesculapii, the False Coral, is a snake found in Amazonian South America and on the island of Trinidad . It feeds mainly on other snakes and is often found in the leaf litter or burrowing in the soil in rain forests. This snake is mildly venomous...
- Erythrolamprus bizona
Erythrolamprus bizona, the False Coral is a snake which is found in Costa Rica, Colombia, Venezuela and on the island of Trinidad . Similar in pattern to a coral snake, this species probably gains protection through mimicry...
- Erythrolamprus ocellatus
Erythrolamprus ocellatus, the Tobago False Coral is a snake which is endemic to the island of Tobago . Unlike other Erythrolapus species, E. ocellatus is not sympatric with coral snakes and has a spotted rather than a banded pattern. It probably feeds on other snakes.-References:...
, Tobago false coral
- Lampropeltis pyromelana
- Lampropeltis triangulum, milk snake
The milk snake or milksnake is a species of king snake. There are 25 subspecies among the milk snakes, including the commonly named scarlet kingsnake...
, subspecies:
- Lampropeltis triangulum amaura
- Lampropeltis triangulum annulata
The Mexican Milk Snake is a species of milk snake native primarily to northeastern Mexico in Coahuila, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, but it can be found as far north as the United States, in southwestern Texas....
- Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides
- Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis
- Lampropeltis triangulum multistrata
- Lampropeltis zonata
- Oxyrhopus petola
Oxyrhopus petola, the False Coral is a snake found in northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago. The species is rear-fanged and its saliva is extremely toxic to Anolis lizards. They feed on lizards, frogs, small rodents, birds and probably other snakes.-References:-External links:*...
- Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus
Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus is a subspecies of nonvenomous colubrid snake.-Geographic range:It is found in the United States, primarily in Texas, but also in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas, as well as northern Mexico.- Description :...
Further reading
- Tanaka G. D., Furtado Md. F. D., Portaro F. C. V., Sant'Anna O. A. & Tambourgi D. V. (2010). "Diversity of Micrurus Snake Species Related to Their Venom Toxic Effects and the Prospective of Antivenom Neutralization". PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases is an open access, online scientific journal devoted to the study of neglected tropical diseases. Submissions go through pre-publication peer review for scientific rigor and relevance to a specific set of overlooked diseases, including helminth, bacterial, viral,...
4(3): e622.