Regal Coral Snake

The Regal coral snake is limited to Pacific lowland of eastern Panama, western Colombia, southern Ecuador and far northwestern Peru.

Regal Coral Snake (Micrurus ancoralis)

Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Regal coral snake, coralillo, Gargantilla, coral rey

Distinguishing Features

Medium sized tricolored coral, adults usually 70 to 90 cm long (max. 151 cm); most of head red (M. ancoralis jani with a distinct oblique white marking on each side of neck), body with a series of broad red rings (often heavily stippled with black in M. a. ancoralis) alternating with 12 to 24 triads (bwbwb) on body and 1 to 2 more on tail. Individual white rings may often (each) be wider along flanks and may run at an slightly oblique angle.

Geographical Range

Probably limited to Pacific lowland of eastern Panama, western Colombia, southern Ecuador and far northwestern Peru.

Habitat

Found mainly in tropical rainforest and lower montane wet forest usually at less than 1,500 m elevation; but reported up to 2,300 m in Colombia.

Life History

Mainly nocturnal and terrestrial (semi-burrowing). Not well known. Coral snakes usually are nonaggressive. Oviparous with clutch size not reported (but probably less than 10 eggs in a clutch). This species eat mainly available other snakes, lizards, and frogs, and (less often) invertebrates.

Comments

Most coral snakes have highly potent neurotoxic venom in glands located in the upper jaw, which can be injected through grooved, fixed, upper front fangs. Due to their small mouths, most coral snakes bites to humans usually occur on a finger or toe. Bites usually occur during attempts to catch the snake.