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Hemprich's Coral Snake (Micrurus hemprichii)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Hemprich's coral snake, cobra coral, corail, coral de ponzona de Mocoa, coral verdadero, coralillo, naca-naca, kraalslange, kraralsneke, kraka sneki, nanim-uxirimake, nanimuxirimkyk, serpent-corail, T'dadema, watamio
Distinguishing Features
Medium sized, 2 colored coral snake, adults usually 50 to 60 cm long (max. 91 cm). Front of head black, followed by very broad orangish ring; neck black. Body pattern unique for the genus, consisting of narrow orange to orange-yellow rings separated by 5 to 10 black triads (each triad with 3 black rings separated by a pair of very thin white rings; bwbwb). Tail usually with very broad yellow orange band and 1/3 to 2 complete black triads.
Geographical Range
Colombia, Venezuela (TF Amazonas), Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil (Para, Rondonia), Bolivia.
Habitat
Found mainly in moist leaf litter on the forest floor; in lower montane wet forest, seasonally dry gallery forest, and rain forest. Most common in lowlands; found from near sea level to about 1,200 m elevation.
Life History
Not much known. Probably mainly nocturnal and terrestrial or burrowing (in loose soil and leaf litter). Most species of coral snakes usually are nonaggressive. Oviparous (usual clutch size not reported), prey on locally available smaller snakes (may be cannibalistic), lizards, and invertebrates.
Comments
Not much known. Most coral snakes have highly potent, mainly neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a pair of grooved, fixed front fangs. Due to the small size of their mouth, coral snakes bites to humans usually occur on a toe or finger. Most bites of humans occur when the victim tries to catch or molested the snake.