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Micrurus boicora BERNARDE, TURCI, ABEGG & FRANCO, 2018

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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Boicora Coral Snake 
SynonymMicrurus boicora BERNARDE, TURCI, ABEGG & FRANCO 2018
Micrurus hemprichii – BERNARDE & ABE 2006
Micrurus hemprichii – TURCI & BERNARDE, 2008
Micrurus sp. nov. – BERNARDE et al. 2012
Micrurus boicora — NOGUEIRA et al. 2019 
DistributionBrazil (Rondônia)

Type locality: Rondon II Hydroelectric Power Plant, Municipality of Pimenta Bueno, State of Rondônia, Brazil (11°57’S, 60°41’W; elevation 325 m above sea level)  
Reproduction 
TypesHolotype: IBSP 77.773, a subadult male, collected by Miquéias Ferrão da Silva Jr and Angele Martins da Silva on 23 December 2007 (Figs 2 and 3). Paratypes (N=7): All from Brazil: one adult male (IBSP 89.474), two subadult females (IBSP 89.475, 77.774), and one juvenile female (IBSP 89.473), with the same data as the holotype; one subadult male (IBSP 76.565), collected on 07 November 2001 by Paulo Sérgio Bernarde at Jaburi Farm, Municipality of Espigão do Oeste, State of Rondô- nia, (11°38’S; 60°43’W; 315 m above sea level; severely dam- aged at both ends due to the fire at the Butantan Institute); one adult male (IBSP 77.772; also severely damaged at both ends), collected on 03 February 2006 by Luiz Carlos Batista Turci at the property of the School Família Agrícola Padre Ezequiel Ramim, Municipality of Cacoal, State of Rondônia (11°28’S, 61°19’W; 200 m above sea level); one adult male (ABAM 1549) collected on 13 October 2012 by Domingos de Jesus Rodrigues at São Nicolau Farm, Municipality of Cotriguaçu, State of Mato Grosso (9°49’S, 58°15’W; 273 m above sea level). 
DiagnosisDiagnosis and comparisons: Micrurus boicora can be distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: cloacal plate single; narrow parietal reddish band in juveniles present (absent in adults); body triads 5; brownish or orange-yellow dorsal body bands absent; white body rings equidistantly arranged, more than 11 ventral scales apart; red gular region; with red spots on belly triads; ventrals 155–166; subcaudals 19–23.
Micrurus boicora is distinguished from all congeners, except those from the Micrurus hemprichii group, by presenting a single cloacal plate. It is distinguished from M. hemprichii by its lower number of body triads (5 vs. 6–10). Micrurus boicora differs from M. ortoni by its lower number of subcaudals (19–23 vs. 24–34) and ventrals (155– 168 vs.172–193), and triads (5 vs. 5–7). In addition, M. boi­ cora presents more ventrals between the white rings (> 11 vs. < 8, in M. hemprichii and M. ortoni). Unlike M. hemp­ richii and M. ortoni, M. boicora displays red colour ventrally among the triads (vs. brownish or orange-yellow as in these species), on mental and labial areas (vs. brownish or orange-yellow in M. hemprichii and M. ortoni), and has single red band on the tail, but no red on its neck or body dorsum. The body dorsum is black and with slender white rings (black with slender white rings and brownish or orange-yellow body bands in M. hemprichii and M. ortoni). 
CommentDistribution: see map in Bernarde et al. 2018: 256 (Fig. 6). See map in Nogueira et al. 2019. 
EtymologyThe specific epithet boicora is a Tupi-Guarani name (mbóî = snake; corá = coral), employed herein as a noun in apposition alluding to the coral coloration of the new species. Many Amerindians and peasants in Brazil collectively name true coralsnakes and their mimics as “Boicorá”. 
References
  • Bernarde, P. S. & A. S. Abe 2006. A snake community at Es- pigão do Oeste, Rondônia, Southwestern Amazon, Brazil. –. South American Journal of Herpetology, 1: 102–113 - get paper here
  • Bernarde, P. S., L. C. B. Turci, A. D. Abegg, F. L. Franco 2018. A remarkable new species of coralsnake of the Micrurus hemprichii species group from the Brazilian Amazon. Salamandra 54 (4): 249-258 - get paper here
  • BERNARDE, P.S., ALBUQUERQUE, S., BARROS, T.O. & TURCI, L.C.B. 2012. Serpentes do Estado de Rondônia, Brasil. Biota Neotropica 12 (3): 1-29 - get paper here
  • Nogueira, Cristiano C.; Antonio J.S. Argôlo, Vanesa Arzamendia, Josué A. Azevedo, Fausto E. Barbo, Renato S. Bérnils, Bruna E. Bolochio, Marcio Borges-Martins, Marcela Brasil-Godinho, Henrique Braz, Marcus A. Buononato, Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia, 2019. Atlas of Brazilian snakes: verified point-locality maps to mitigate the Wallacean shortfall in a megadiverse snake fauna. South American J. Herp. 14 (Special Issue 1):1-274 - get paper here
  • Turci, L. C. B. & P. S. Bernarde 2008. Levantamento herpetofaunístico em uma localidade no município de Cacoal, Rondônia, Brasil. Biokos, 22: 101–108
 
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