Micrurus circinalis (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854)
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Micrurus circinalis
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Trinidad Coralsnake, Trinidad Northern Coral Snake S: Coral Nortefia Trinitaria; Cobra Coral Septentrional de Trinidad |
| Synonym | Elaps circinalis DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 1210 Elaps riisei JAN 1858: 525 Elaps circinalis — COPE 1878: 33 Elaps riisii — GARMAN 1887: 285 Elaps corallinus BOULENGER 1896 Micrurus psyches circinalis — ROZE 1967: 40 Micrurus psyches circinalis — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 216 Micrurus psyches circinalis — CAMPBELL & LAMAR 1989 Micrurus psyches circinalis — WELCH 1994: 89 Micrurus circinalis — ROZE 1996 Micrurus circinalis — KORNACKER 1999: 150 Micrurus circinalis — CARVALHO 2002 Micrurus circinalis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 443 Micrurus circinalis — JOWERS et al. 2019 |
| Distribution | Trinidad, adjacent mainland Venezuela Type locality: Martinique (in error fide SCHMIDT 1936 |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Lectotype: MNHN-RA 3912, a female (designated by Roze, 1989): from an unknown locality, collected by Geoffroy |
| Diagnosis | Definition: A single-banded coral snake with a black cap, intensely red bands with black tips, and a tendency to form weak accessory black bands. The anterior temporal is either reduced or fused with the sixth supralabial. Males lack supraanal tubercles (Roze 1996: 149). Description: Males have 178 to 187 (183.3) and females have 192 to 205 (196.1) ventrals; subcaudals 43 to 50 (45.9) in males and 30 to 35 (32.3) infemales; 0+1 or1 +1 temporals; anterior temporal usually reduced in size or fused with the sixth supralabial. Examined: 29 males and 23 females, ineluding the holotype. The black cap may be fused or not with the black nuchal band. When not fused, a postparietal yellow or white band occupies one dorsal, the temporals, and the last supralabials. The chin is black with an irregular white crossband that covers the last infralabials and part of the genials. The black nuchal band is 3 to 4 dorsals and 2 to 3 ventrals long, and ventrally it projects forward onto the genials. The black bands are 2 to 3 dorsals and about 2 ventrals long and are somewhat irregular in shape. The red bands are elearly distinct, with black tips occupying usually not more than one half of a scale. In more than half of the specimens a weak accessory black band is present. When present, it is more conspicuous on the posterior part of the body. It seems there is an ontogenetic tendency as with an increase of size the black tips of the red scales become larger and the accessory blands become more conspicuous. VentralIy, many specimens have some irregular black spots on the red bands. The black tail bands are 2 to 3 times as long as the light interspaces, many of which have a darkish red dorsal spot or a complete, short, red band between the white bands, corresponding to the red body bands. The males have 22 to 30 (25.5) and the females have 21 to 31 (27.2) black body bands. The males have 8 to 12 (9.8) and the females have 6 to 8 (6.8) black tail bands (Roze 1996: 149). |
| Comment | Venomous! Distribution: Cole et al. 2013: 533 believe that records from Guyana (Donnelly et al. 2005: 457) are in error. |
| Etymology | Latin from circin, a ring or circle, and -alis, pertaining to; thus circinalis refers to this snake as belonging to ringed or banded snakes. |
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