Micrurus isozonus
| Micrurus isozonus | |
|---|---|
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| Paratype of Micrurus isozonus sandneri | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. isozonus |
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus isozonus (Cope, 1860) | |
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Micrurus isozonus, also known commonly as the equal-banded coral snake and the Venezuela coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to northern South America. There are two recognized subspecies.[2]
Local common names
Local common names for Micrurus isozonus include cobra coral da Venezuela[2] and cobra coral de faixas iguais[3] in Brazilian Portuguese, and coral de franjas iguales[3] in South American Spanish.
Description
The color pattern of Micrurus isozonus, like most coral snakes, consists of black, red, and white (or yellow) rings. The black rings are arranged in triads. The first triad is complete, unlike in several other coral snakes. The white rings are usually slightly wider than the black rings. The dorsal scales of the red and white rings are conspicuously black-tipped.[3]
Medium-sized for the genus Micrurus, adults of M. isozonus usually have a total length (tail included) of 48–70 cm (19–28 in). The maximum recorded total length is 88.5 cm (34.8 in).[3]
Geographic distribution
Micrurus isozonus is found in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Venezuela.[2]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of Micrurus isozonus are forest, savanna, and shrubland, usually near water, at elevations from near sea level to 1,400 m (4,600 ft), and it has also been found in disturbed habitats such as pasture.[1]
Behavior
Micrurus isozonus is terrestrial.[1]
Diet
Micrurus isozonus preys upon terrestrial lizards, such as species of the genus Bachia, and snakes of the family Colubridae.[3]
Reproduction
Venom
Micrurus isozonus possesses a potent venom which it uses to kill its prey.[3]: 111 When "milked" in a laboratory, the average venom yield is 9 mg (dry weight), which is more than the estimated lethal dose for an adult human of 5–7 mg.[3]: 102
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[2]
- Micrurus isozonus isozonus (Cope, 1860)
- Micrurus isozonus sandneri Arenas-Vargas, 2015 – Sandner's coral snake
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Micrurus.
Etymology
The specific name, isozonus, is Latin for "equal areas", referring to the approximately equal width of the black and white rings.[3]
The subspecific name, sandneri, is in honor of German-born Venezuelan herpetologist Fernando Sandner Montilla.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 Schargel, W.; Rivas, G.; Renjifo, J.; Hoogmoed, M.S.; Ouboter, P. (2019). "Micrurus isozonus ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019 e.T174105A44947349. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T174105A44947349.en. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Micrurus isozonus ". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Roze, J.A. (1996). Coral Snakes of the Americas: Biology, Identification, and Venoms. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89464-847-0. xii + 328 pp., 38 maps, 63 color photographs, 49 color pattern drawings. (Micrurus isozonus, pp. 184–185 + Map 19 + Color 35).
Further reading
- Arenas-Vargas, I.S. (2015). Serpientes de coral y una nueva subespecie: Coral Snakes and a New Subspecies: Micrurus isozonus sandneri ssp. nov. La Victoria, Aragua, Venezuela: self-published ?. ISBN 978-980-12-8231-0. 54 pp. (in Spanish, with an abstract in English).
- Boulenger, G.A. (1920). "Descriptions of Four new Snakes in the Collection of the British Museum". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Ninth Series. 6 (31): 108–111. (Elaps omissus, new species, pp. 109–110).
- Campbell, J.A.; Lamar, W.W. (1989). The Venomous Reptiles of Latin America. Ithaca, New York: Comstock Publishing Associares, a Division of Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801420597. xiv + 430 pp., 568 figures, 109 distribution maps, 31 tables. (Micrurus isozonus, p. 121).
- Cope, E.D. (1860). "Supplement to 'A Catalogue of the Venomous Reptiles in the Museum of the Academy,' etc". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 1860: 72–74. (Elaps isozonus, new species, p. 73).
- Freiberg, M. (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. 189 pp. (Micrurus isozonus, p. 115).
- Schmidt, K.P. (1936). "Preliminary Account of Coral Snakes of South America". Zoological Series of Field Museum of Natural History. 20 (19): 189–203. (Micrurus isozonus, pp. 198–199).