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Mesopotamian Coral Snake (Micrurus baliocoryphus)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Mesopotamian coral snake, biopinima, coral mesopotamica, cobra coral mesopotamica
Distinguishing Features
Small to medium sized, tri colored coral snake, adults usually 50 to 70 cm long (max. 144 cm). Usually 9 to 16 black triads on body (bwb), many white dorsal scales bordered with a thin black margin, snout and chin white (often with black spotting). Dorsal junctions of red and black rings often look "jagged" because scales tend to be all black or all red. Tail short (with less than 2 complete triads).
Geographical Range
Limited to northeastern Argentina and Paraguay.
Habitat
Found mostly in open areas such as pampas and in deciduous forest, from sea level to 200 m elevation.
Life History
Not much known. Most coral snake spp. are mainly nocturnal, terrestrial or semi-fossorial (burrowing in soft soil and leaf litter) and not aggressive. Most spp. of coral snakes are oviparous with typically less than 15 eggs per clutch. Most species feed on available lizards, other snakes, or invertebrates.
Comments
Not much known. Most coral snake venoms mainly contain potent neurotoxins. Coral snakes have small mouths, and bites to humans are usually on a finger, toe, or webbing between such digits, and usually occur when the snake was being caught or molested.