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Para Coral Snake (Micrurus paraensis)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Para coral snake, cobra-coral do Para, coral de Para
Distinguishing Features
Small, tri colored coral snake, adults usually 35 to 45 cm long (max. 53 cm). Body with 10 to 20 black rings arranged singly, separated by much wider red rings, each bordered by white rings which are often reduced to rows of spots dorsally (rwbwr). Both red and white dorsal scales smooth, usually dusky and black-tipped. Tail with 3 to 14 black rings alternating with white rings (black rings each 3 times as wide as adjacent white rings).
Geographical Range
Found in northeast and central Brazil and Suriname.
Habitat
Found in tropical rainforest and lower montane wet forests; mainly lowlands from sea level to 400 m elevation.
Life History
Not well known, but terrestrial (burrowing) and apparently mainly diurnal or cerpuscular (active at dusk). Oviparous (but litter size not reported). Reportedly mainly prey on locally available lizards, frogs, larger invertebrates and other snakes.
Comments
Not well known, but mainly neurotoxic. No well documented envenomations of humans or fatalities have been reported, so far.