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Diana's Coral Snake (Micrurus diana)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Diana's coral snake, coral, coral Diana
Distinguishing Features
Medium sized, tricolored coral snake, adults usually 60 to 80 cm long (max. 100+ cm). Body has 9 to 11 triads (each with 3 thin black rings separated by wider white rings; bwbwb), alternating with wide red rings (each red ring more than 1/2 as wide as each triad). Overall pattern is (rbwbwbr). Head red and black above, chin white. Tail short with less than 2 complete triads. Red and black ring junctions look "jagged," smooth dorsal scales all red or all black.
Geographical Range
Found in low isolated mountain ranges in eastern Bolivia
Habitat
Found mainly in subhumid decicuous forest and wet palm grassland. Found up to 700 m elevation.
Life History
Not well known. Terrestrial (possibly semi-aquatic) and mainly nocturnal. Probably very similar to the behavior of the closely related species M. altirostris or M. frontalis.
Comments
Not much known, but presumably neurotoxic, like that of other coral snakes. No well documented human envenomations or fatalities, so far.