Micrurus elegans JAN, 1858
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Micrurus elegans?
Micrurus elegans
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| Higher Taxa | Elapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) |
| Subspecies | Micrurus elegans elegans (JAN 1858) Micrurus elegans veraepacis K.P. SCHMIDT 1933 |
| Common Names | E: Elegant Coral Snake E: Western elegant coral snake [elegans] E: Verapaz elegant coral snake [veraepacis] S: Coralillo Elegante |
| Synonym | Micrurus elegans elegans (JAN 1858) Elaps elegans JAN 1858 Elaps elegans — GARMAN 1884: 108 Micrurus elegans elegans — ALVAREZ DEL TORO & SMITH 1956: 16 Micrurus elegans elegans — LINER 1994 Micrurus elegans elegans — LINER 2007 Micrurus elegans — WALLACH et al. 2014: 446 Micrurus elegans veraepacis K.P. SCHMIDT 1933 Micrurus elegans veraepacis K.P. SCHMIDT 1933 Micrurus elegans veraepacis — ALVAREZ DEL TORO & SMITH 1956: 16 Micrurus elegans veraepacis — LINER 1994 Micrurus elegans veraepacis — LINER 2007 |
| Distribution | Mexico (Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Puebla), Guatemala elegans: Mexico (C Veracruz east Oaxaca to W Tabasco); Type locality: Mexico veraepacis: Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas) to Guatemala (Alta Verapaz) |
| Reproduction | oviparous |
| Types | Syntypes: MRSN (= MSNTO = MZUT), a 495 mm male, ZFMK/SUB, a 490 mm female, and MSNM, a 470 mm female, other two unknown. Holotype: ZSM 2247/0 (given as "2247a" in the original description) (lost), male, from "Campur, Alta Vera Paz, Guatemala", collected by K. Sapper, 1899; paratypes: ZSM 2245/0 (given as "2245" in the original description), 1 specimen, from "Guatemala", collected by K. Sapper, 1907; ZSM 2247/0 (given as "2247b" in the original description) (lost), 1 specimen, same data as holotype; ZSM 2248/0/1-3 (given as "2248" in the original description), 3 specimens, from "Campur, Guatemala" collected by K. Sapper, 1899; ZSM 2249/0 (given as "2249" in the original description) (lost), 2 specimens, from "Coban, Guatemala", collected by K. Sapper, no date; additional paratypes in BMNH, MNHN, and NMBA [veraepacis] |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: A coral snake of the genus Micrurus with the normal body form and arrangement of scales; pattern extremely complex (fig. 34), with black rings in groups of three (triads), the rings subequal above, the outer rings in each triad narrowed below, with corresponding widening of the red ring intervening between triads; the outer black rings of each triad separated from the middle one by narrow yellow rings split by a black one; the triad pattern lost on the tail, where equally wide black rings are separated by double yellow rings. The black head crossed by a narrow yellow ring behind the eyes and behind the parietals, the two black portions of the head with the nuchal ring composing a somewhat obscure first triad. The red rings often divided by a narrow black ring [from SCHMIDT 1958]. Original description (free translation from the French).—Our museum has received five specimens of this species from Mexico, all identical in pattern. The snout is black; behind the eye, a white band extends onto the postoculars and the anterior part of the parietals, interrupted medially. Except for the fifth and sixth upper labials, the third and fourth lower labials, and the chin shields, which are white, the rest of the head is black as far as the neck. At this point there is a series of white scales arranged like a necklace of pearls; behind this there is a large black triangular marking, followed by a light band (red), extending for three or four scale-lengths, in which the tips of the scales are black. From this point there are thirteen or fourteen groups of triple black bands [triads], which tend to be confluent beneath, each [individual] band extending over three or four scales and separated from each other by a single series of white scales [really by a double series, cf. plate]. The spaces between the triads are 4 scales long, and there are large black spots in these [red] bands on the ventral surface. The tail is black, with six white rings formed by a single series of scales [from SCHMIDT 1958]. |
| Comment | Venomous! |
| Etymology | Latin elegans means elegant or fine, alluding to its very rich color pattern. The name veraepacis denotes its distribution or presence in Verapaz, Guatemala, from where it was originally described. |
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