Micrurus diutius
| Micrurus diutius | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. diutius |
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus diutius Burger, 1955 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Micrurus diutius, also known commonly as the Trinidad ribbon coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Trinidad and northern South America.
Local common names
Common names for Micrurus diutius include coral acintada trinitaria in South American Spanish and cobra coral de faixas de Trinidad in Brazilian Portuguese.[2]
Description
Large for its genus, Micrurus diutius may attain a total length (tail included) of 1 m (3.3 ft) or more. The color pattern consists of rings of red, white, and black, with the black rings in triads.[2]
Geographic distribution
Micrurus diutius is found in Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad, and Venezuela. The type locality is "Tunapuna, Trinidad".[1]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus diutius is humid forest, but it has also been found in savanna and agricultural areas.[2]
Diet
Micrurus diutius preys upon a variety of poikilotherms, including fishes such as Synbranchus marmoratus; amphisbaenians such as Leposternon polystegum; lizards of the genus Bachia; snakes such as Atractus trilineatus, snakes of the genus Liophis, other coral snakes such as Micrurus circinalis, and even its own species.[2]
Reproduction
Etymology
The specific name, diutius, is Latin for "too long".[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Species Micrurus diutius at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- 1 2 3 4 Roze, J.A. (1996). Coral Snakes of the Americas. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Compnay. ISBN 0-89464-847-0. xii + 318 pp., 38 maps, 63 color photographs, 49 color pattern drawings. (Micrurus lemniscatus diutius, pp. 190–192, Figure 58).
Further reading
- Burger, W.L. (1955). "A new subspecies of the coral snake, Micrurus lemniscatus, from Venezuela, British Guiana, and Trinidad; and a key for the identification of associated species of coral snakes". Boletín del Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Caracas. 1 (2): 1–19. (Micrurus lemniscatus diutius, new subspecies).
- Freiberg, M. (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. 189 pp. (Micrurus lemniscatus diutius, p. 115).
- Jowers, M.J.; Garcia Mudarra, J.L.; Charles, S.P.; Murphy, J.C. (2019). "Phylogeography of West Indies Coral snakes (Micrurus): Island colonisation and banding patterns". Zoologica Scripta. 48 (3): 263–276.