Micrurus bocourti (JAN, 1872)
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Micrurus bocourti
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: False Triad Coral Snake, Ecuador Coral Snake S: Coral de Triadas Falsas |
| Synonym | Elaps bocourti JAN 1872, in JAN & SORDELLI 1872 Micrurus ecuadorianus SCHMIDT 1936: 196 Micrurus circinalis — SCHMIDT 1936: 192 (part.) Micrurus catamayensis ROZE 1989 (fide VALENCIA et al. 2016) Micrurus catamayensis — WELCH 1994: 79 Micrurus bocourti — WELCH 1994: 79 Micrurus bocourti — ROZE 1996 Micrurus bocourti — CAMPBELL & LAMAR 2004: 151 Micrurus bocourti — WALLACH et al. 2014: 442 Micrurus catamayensis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 443 Micrurus bocourti — TORRES-CARVAJAL et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | W Ecuador (Pacific lowlands), NW Peru Type locality: Type locality restricted to Rio Daule, Guayas Province, Ecuador, by Roze, 1967. ecuadorianus: Ecuador; Type locality: “Río Daule, western Ecuador” catamayensis: S Ecuador (Catamayo Valley); Type locality: 2 km west of Loja, Catamayo Valley, Ecuador,4,780 ft. elevation. |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Holotype: MNHN-RA 0869, a male from an unknown locality, collected by Liataud in 1843. Holotype: BMNH 1935.11.3.103, male, collected by Carrion [catamayensis] Holotype: MCZ 3559, Paratypes: ZSM 66/1914/1-2 [ecuadorianus] |
| Diagnosis | Definition: A coral snake with accessory black bands forming triads and with the first triad consisting of only two bands. A black cap is present on the top of the head. The red bands have both small and large black tips or spots. Males are without supraanal tubercles (Roze 1996: 145). Description: Males have 197 to 206 (201.6) and females have 212 to 220 (215.9) ventrals; subcaudals 43 to 50 (46.2) in males and 32 to 35 (34.1) in females; usually 1+I, occasionally 1+2, temporals. Examined: 21 males and 19 females, including all holotypes. The black cap is separated from the black nuchal band by an irregular white band. Occasionally, white spots are found on the parietal tips and the first dorsals. The last supralabials and temporals are white. Below, the mental and the first infralabials are partially or completely black. The rest of the head is white, but black tips may be present on some chin scales. In some specimens the chin is almost completely white. The nuchal black band is one of the original black bands, behind which an accessory band is formed so that the first triad consists of only 2 black bands. The other black triads consist of a central band, 3 to 5 dorsals long, and irregular outer bands 1 to 2 (sometimes 3) dorsals long. Ventrally, the bands of the triads are irregular, interrupted, or 1 ventrallong. The red bands have irregular black tips or large black spots that are concentrated around the periphery to produce the accessory black bands. The red bands are 5 to 13 dorsals and ventrals long. Ventrally they have both large and small black smudges or spots. The white bands within a triad are 1 or 2 dorsals and ventrals long with smalI, poorlydefined black tips. There are black and white bands on the tail. The white bands have a large, irregular spot in the middle. The males have 2/3 14 to 2/3 20 (15.8) and the females have 2/3 15 to 2/3 21 (17.9) black accessory triads on the body. On the tail, the males have 5 to 8 (6.8) and the females have 4 to 6 (5.1) black tail bands (Roze 1996: 145). |
| Comment | Venomous! Distribution: not in Colombia (Campbell and Lamar 2004). |
| Etymology | Named after Marie Firmin Bocourt (1819-1904), French naturalist. M. catamayensis was named after the type locality. |
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