Featured Book
Elapids For Sale
Unable to open template sample-template.html, exiting
Brown's Coral Snake (Micrurus browni)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Brown's coral snake, coral, coral de Acapulco, coral de Antigua, coral (or coralillo) de canutos, vibora de coral
Distinguishing Features
Medium sized coral snake, adults usually 50 to 70 cm long (max. 100 cm). Body tricolored, with broad red rings separated by 10 to 27 broad black rings, each narrowly bordered with yellow (rybyr). Red dorsal scales usually dusky and with blackish posterior tips. Snout and chin black, tail with 3 to 8 alternating black and yellow rings.
Geographical Range
Limited to southwestern Mexico (Quintana Roo), and western Guatemala (Sacatepequez). Had been reported from Honduras (in some older literature), but those specimen IDs have recently been reported to be incorrect.
Habitat
Found mainly in tropical deciduous forest, pine-oak forest, and cloud forest. Found at sea level to 2,000 m elevation.
Life History
Not much known. Most coral snakes are mainly nocturnal, terrestrial (or fossorial, burrowing in loose soil and/or litter) and usually are not aggressive. They mainly prey on locally available invertebrates, small lizards or other snakes. They are typically oviparous with less than 15 eggs in a clutch.
Comments
Not much known for this species; coral snake venoms are mainly neurotoxic. Due to these snakes' small mouths, bites on humans are usually on toes, fingers or webbing between digits; and usually occur during attempts to catch or molest the snake.