Micrurus mipartitus

Micrurus mipartitus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Micrurus
Species:
M. mipartitus
Binomial name
Micrurus mipartitus
Synonyms[2]

Elaps mipartitus
A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854 (basionym)

Micrurus mipartitus, also known commonly as the red-tailed coral snake,[2] the many-banded coral snake,[3] and rabo de ají [2] in local Spanish, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae.[2] The species is native to Central America and northern South America. The red-tailed coral snake is common in agricultural areas in Colombia.[4] Its highly neurotoxic venom is known to cause seizures in its prey by activating nerve proteins responsible for seizures within it.[5]

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[2]

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Micrurus.

Etymology

The subspecific name, rozei, is in honor of Latvian-American herpetologist Janis A. Roze.[6]

Distribution

Micrurus mipartitus occurs in Central America and South America.[1][2][3] Limits of its range vary by source and may include Nicaragua[3] and Costa Rica[2] in the north, although older records from Nicaragua and Costa Rica likely refer to M. multifasciatus.[2] The IUCN Redlist restricts its range to Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and possibly Peru.[1] It has also been listed from Brazil (Rondônia).[2]

Description

Micrurus mipartitus has a cylindrical body that can reach a total length (tail included) of 140.6 cm (55.4 in).[7] It has quite small eyes and a rounded head. The black body rings of this species can number from 34 to 84 and are separated by narrow yellow or white intermediary rings. The second ring on the head and 3 or 4 of the tail rings are red-colored in contrast to the white or yellow rings.[4]

Biology

Behavior

Micrurus mipartitus is a species of crepuscular and nocturnal habits. During periods of low rainfall, it may be located underground, several centimeters deep. In times of high rainfall, it is found on the soil surface or where leaf litter is abundant.[8]

Habitat

The red-tailed coral snake lives in forests, from tropical dry forests to foggy forests, and is also found in human settlements in rural areas used for agriculture.[8]

Diet

Two red-tailed coral snakes competing for a caecilian (Caecilia sp.)

The diet of M. mipartitus is mainly based on snakes (e.g., Atractus werneri, A. sanctamartae, Epictia spp., Trilepida spp.) as well as lizards (e.g., Lepidoblepharis sanctaemartae), amphisbaenids (e.g., Amphisbaena spp.), frogs, and caecilians (e.g., Caecilia guntheri).[8]

Reproduction

The red-tailed coral snake is oviparous; about eight white-colored eggs have been recorded, which are 2.9 cm (1.1 in) long, with an average weight of 3.1 g (0.11 oz). Incubation period lasts between 73–87 days, total length of each hatchling varies from 20–21.9 cm (7.9–8.6 in) and weight is around 3.3 g (0.12 oz).[8]

Venom

The red-tailed coral snake has a potentially deadly neurotoxic venom, which produces a complete depolarizing muscle block.[9] Proteomics analysis of the venom components found that it contains about 60% three-finger toxins, 30% phospholipase A2, and 10% other toxins.[10] The most abundant venom component is the three-finger toxin mipartoxin-I.[11]

The venom acts by blocking the neuromuscular transmission of nerve muscle preparations, it acts in a post-synaptic way through the Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChr), inhibiting the muscle contractions in phrenic nerve diaphragm.[12] After the bite, local pain and paraesthesia appear in minutes, in severe cases, neurological manifestations appear in 30 minutes to 1–2 hours, such as progressive bilateral ptosis, dysarthria, progressive weakness in the muscles of the extremities, difficulties in walking, salivation, drowsiness, respiratory arrest, flaccid quadriparesis and severe flaccid quadriplegia. The LD50 for 18-20 gram mice is 9 μg and 0.45 mg / kg. The intraperitoneal lethal dose is 0.125 mg / kg and 0.06 μg / g.[4][13]

The average venom yield of Micrurus mipartitus "milked" by scientists was 7 mg (dry weight), which exceeds the estimated lethal dose for an adult human of 4–6 mg.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ibáñez, R.; Ines Hladki, A.; Jaramillo, C.; Ramírez Pinilla, M.; Renjifo, J.; Urbina, N.; Schargel, W.; Rivas, G. (2017). "Micrurus mipartitus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T203627A2769221. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T203627A2769221.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Micrurus mipartitus at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Micrurus mipartitus". Venomous snakes in Costa Rica. Clodomiro Picado Research Institute, Universidad de Costa Rica. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Cañas, Carlos A.; Castro-Herrera, Fernando; Castaño-Valencia, Santiago (2017). "Envenomation by the red-tailed coral snake (Micrurus mipartitus) in Colombia". Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases. 23: 9. doi:10.1186/s40409-017-0100-4. PMC 5307858. PMID 28228775.
  5. ↑ "Red Tail Coral Snake Venom Activates Nerve Cell Proteins That Cause Seizures". www.reptilesmagazine.com. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Golay et al. (1999), p. 74.
  7. ↑ Vera Pérez, Luis Enrique; Zúñiga Baos, Jorge Alberto; Ayerbe González, Santiago (2019). "Nuevos registros de longitud y dieta de Micrurus mipartitus (Duméril, Bibron y Duméril, 1854) (Serpentes: Elapidae)". Revista Novedades Colombianas (in Spanish). 14 (1): 49–56. doi:10.47374/novcol.2019.v14.1434. S2CID 241998067.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Rios-Soto, Julián Alberto; et al. "Micrurus mipartitus (Duméril, Bibron y Duméril, 1854)". Catálogo de anfibios y reptiles de Colombia (in Spanish). 4 (1): 37–44.
  9. ↑ Ocampo-Trujillo, Bernardo (2016-04-01). "Caso clínico histórico. Mordedura de serpiente «rabo de ají» en el año de 1968. Viacrucis de un herpetólogo" [Historical clinical case. «Coral snake» Micrurus mipartitus bite in 1968. A herpetologist's ordeal]. Revista Colombiana de Anestesiología (in Spanish and English). 44 (2): 161–169. doi:10.1016/j.rca.2015.11.011. ISSN 0120-3347.
  10. ↑ Rey-Suárez, Paola; Núñez, Vitelbina; Gutiérrez, José María; Lomonte, Bruno (December 2011). "Proteomic and biological characterization of the venom of the redtail coral snake, Micrurus mipartitus (Elapidae), from Colombia and Costa Rica". Journal of Proteomics. 75 (2): 655–667. doi:10.1016/j.jprot.2011.09.003. PMID 21963438.
  11. ↑ Rey-Suárez, Paola; Floriano, Rafael Stuani; Rostelato-Ferreira, Sandro; Saldarriaga-Córdoba, Mónica; Núñez, Vitelbina; Rodrigues-Simioni, Léa; Lomonte, Bruno (October 2012). "Mipartoxin-I, a novel three-finger toxin, is the major neurotoxic component in the venom of the redtail coral snake Micrurus mipartitus (Elapidae)". Toxicon. 60 (5): 851–863. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2012.05.023. hdl:10669/74496. PMID 22677806.
  12. ↑ "Mipartoxin-1 precursor - Micrurus mipartitus (Red-tailed coral snake)". www.uniprot.org. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  13. ↑ "Easy Snake Identification | snakeID.online". snakedb.org. Retrieved 2020-10-26.
  14. ↑ Roze, J.A. (1996), p. 102.

Further reading

  • Ayerbe, S.; Tidwell, M.A.; Tidwell, M. (1990). "Observaciones sobre la biología y comportamiento de la serpiente coral 'rabo de ají' (Micrurus mipartitus). Descripciòn de una subespecie nueva". Novedades Colombianas, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán. 2: 30–41. (Micrurus mipartitus popayanensis, new subspecies, pp. 33–36, Figures 1, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B). (in Spanish, with an abstract in English).
  • Boulenger, G.A. (1896). Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ), Amblycephalidæ, and Viperidæ. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I–XXV. (Elaps anomalus, new species, p. 417 + Plate XXII, figures 2, 2a).
  • Duméril, A.-M.-C.; Bibron, G.; Duméril, A.[-H.-A.] (1854). Herpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle des reptiles. Tome septième. Deuxième partie. Comprenant l'histoire des serpents venimeux. Paris: Librairie Encyclopédique de Roret. pp. xii + 781–1536. (Elaps mipartitus, new species, pp. 1220–1221; Elaps decussatus, new species, pp. 1221–1222). (in French).
  • Golay, P.; Chiszar, D.; Smith, H.M.; van Breukelen, Frank (1999). "The proper name for the Venezuelan red-tailed coral snake, El nombre correcto de la coral cola roja venezolana". Acta Biologica Venezuelica. 19 (4): 73–75. (Micrurus mipartitus rozei, new subspecies, p. 74). (in English, with an abstract in Spanish).
  • 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 mipartitus, pp. 195–199 + Map 26 + Color 42–44).
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