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Ornate Coral Snake (Micrurus ornatissimus)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Ornate coral snake, cobra-coral, coral ornamentada, naca-naca
Distinguishing Features
Small tri colored coralsnake, adults usually 50 to 70 cm long (max. 84+ cm). Black head cap often touches black nuchal (neck) ring. Body with 38 to 67 single black rings, alternating with wider red rings, each bordered by 2 very narrow white rings (each of these looks like a dorsal cross-band of white spots). Tail with 8 to 17 wide black rings, each much longer than the combined red and white rings that separate them.
Geographical Range
Mainly limited to the Amazon basin of southern Colombia, northern Peru, Ecuador and northwestern Brazil.
Habitat
Found mainly in lowland rainforest and lower montane wet forest, at 500 to 1,200 m elevation.
Life History
Not well known, but mainly diurnal and terrestrial (burrows in loose soil and leaf litter). Apparently feeds on locally available lizards, amphibians, larger invertebrates and possibly smaller snakes. Oviparous, litter size not reported.
Comments
Not well known, but mainly neurotoxic. No well documented serious envenomations or fatalities of humans due to bites by this species.