Micrurus medemi
| Micrurus medemi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. medemi |
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus medemi Roze, 1967 | |
 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Micrurus medemi, also known commonly as Medem's coral snake and the Villavicencio coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Colombia.
Etymology
Micrurus medemi was named after Baltic German zoologist Friedrich Johann Graf von Medem.[2][3]: 174
Description
The color pattern of Micrurus medemi consists of red, black, and white rings. The red rings are wide and melanistic, and may be dark red, purple, or brownish black. The black rings are the widest, and are not arranged in triads. The white rings are the narrowest.[4]
Geographic distribution
Micrurus medemi is found in central Colombia, in Cundinamarca Department and Meta Department.[2]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus medemi is forest, at elevations of 250–600 m (820–1,970 ft).[1]
Behavior
Micrurus medemi is terrestrial, living in the leaf litter on the forest floor.[1]
Diet
Micrurus medemi is known to prey upon smaller species of snakes such as Ninia atrata.[1][4]
Reproduction
References
- 1 2 3 4 Calderón, M.; Caicedo, J.R.; Ortega, A. (2019). "Micrurus medemi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T44581955A44581962.en. Accessed on 01 September 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Species Micrurus medemi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ↑ Beolens, B.; Watkins, M.; Grayson, M. (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xiii + 296. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5.
- 1 2 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 medemi, p. 194 + Map 25 + Pattern 33).
Further reading
- Montoya, Alexandra; Díaz Flórez, Ronald Alessandro; Mancera, Didier (2022). "A new departmental and elevational record for the Villavicencio Coralsnake, Micrurus medemi Roze 1967 (Squamata: Elapidae), in Colombia". Reptiles & Amphibians. 29 (1): 189–190.
- Roze, J.A. (1967). "A Check List of the New World Venomous Coral Snakes (Elapidae), with Descriptions of New Forms". American Museum Novitates (2287): 1–60. (Micrurus psyches medemi, new subspecies, pp. 41–42 + Figure 14 on p. 44).
- Roze, J.A. (1994). "Notes on Taxonomy of Venomous Coral Snakes (Elapidae) of South America". Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society. 30 (4): 177–185. (Micrurus medemi, new taxonomic status, p. 178).
- Wallach, V.; Williams, K.L.; Boundy, J. (2014). Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, a division of Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 978-1-4822-0847-4. xxviii + 1,209 pp. (Micrurus medemi, p. 449).