Featured Book
Elapids For Sale
Unable to open template sample-template.html, exiting
Peters' Coral Snake (Micrurus petersi)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Peters' coral snake, coral montanera
Distinguishing Features
Medium sized usually tri colored coralsnake (obscured red rings make some specimens look 2 colored), adults usually less than 70 cm long. Head mostly black on top, circled by a white ring behind eyes. Body with 20 to 21 moderately broad red and 20 to 21 black rings, separated by narrower yellowish rings (rybyr), some red rings often obscured, at least dorsally. Tail usually with 5 wide black rings separated by yellow rings.
Geographical Range
Known specimens so far limited to Ecuador, but may also occur in suitable habitats in nearby Brazil & Peru.
Habitat
Found in cloud forest and lower montane wet forest at 1,000-1,700 m elevation.
Life History
No data. Most species of coral snakes are usually not aggressive, are mainly nocturnal (or crepuscular), are mainly terrestrial (and may burrow in loose soil and litter), are oviparpous (with clutches of less than 15 eggs), and usually eat locally available other snakes, lizards, amphibians and invertebrates.
Comments
Not much known, but most species of coral snakes have highly potent, mainly neurotoxic venom which can be injected through a pair of grooved, fixed, upper, front fangs. Due to their small mouths, coral snake bites to humans usually occur on fingers or toes, and usually when the victim tried to catch the snake.