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Micrurus mipartitus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL, 1854)

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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesMicrurus mipartitus mipartitus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854)
Micrurus mipartitus anomalus (BOULENGER 1896)
Micrurus mipartitus decussatus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854)
Micrurus mipartitus popayanensis AYERBE, TIDWELL & TIDWELL 1990
Micrurus mipartitus rozei GOLAY, CHISZAR, SMITH & BREUKELEN 1999 
Common NamesE: Redtail Coral Snake
E: Pacific Red-tailed coral snake [mipartitus]
E: Santa Marta red-tailed coral snake [anomalus]
E: Andean red-tailed coral snake [decussatus]
E: Popayan coral snake [popayanensis]
E: Venezuelan red-tailed coral snake [semipartitus]
E: Roze’s Coral snake
S: Rabo de ají
Portuguese: Cobra-Coral, Coral-Verdadeira, Cobra-Coral-de-Cauda-Vermelha 
SynonymElaps mipartitus DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 1220
Micrurus mipartitus — AMARAL 1926: 66
Elaps decipiens WERNER 1927: 250
Micrurus mipartitus — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 212
Micrurus mipartitus — KORNACKER 1999: 157
Micrurus mipartitus — BERNARDE et al. 2012
Micrurus mipartitus — WALLACH et al. 2014: 449

Micrurus mipartitus mipartitus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854)
Elaps mipartitus DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854
Elaps aequicinctus WERNER 1903: 249 (uncertain synonym)
Micrurus mipartitus mipartitus — RENDAHL & VESTERGREN 1955: 9
Micrurus mipartitus mipartitus — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 213
Micrurus mipartitus mipartitus — WELCH 1994: 87

Micrurus mipartitus anomalus (BOULENGER 1896)
Elaps anomalus BOULENGER 1896: 417
Micrurus anomalus — AMARAL 1929: 228
Micrurus mipartitus anomalus — ROZE 1967: 37
Micrurus mipartitus anomalus — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 213
Micrurus mipartitus anomalus — WELCH 1994: 87
Micrurus mipartitus anomalus — BARRIO-AMOROS et al. 2003

Micrurus mipartitus decussatus (DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854)
Elaps decussatus DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 1221
Elaps fraseri BOULENGER 1896: 432
Elaps mentalis BOULENGER 1896: 432
Elaps calamus BOULENGER 1902: 57
Elaps microps BOULENGER 1913: 1036
Micrurus mipartitus multiscutatus RENDAHL & VESTERGREN 1940: 9
Micrurus mipartitus decussatus — ROZE 1967: 37
Micrurus mipartitus decussatus — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 213
Micrurus mipartitus decussatus — WELCH 1994: 87
Micrurus mipartitus decussatus — ROJAS-MORALES 2012

Micrurus mipartitus popayanensis AYERBE, TIDWELL & TIDWELL 1990
Micrurus mipartitus popayanensis — ROZE 1996: 198

Micrurus mipartitus rozei GOLAY et al. 1999
Elaps semipartitus JAN 1858: 516
Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus — SCHMIDT 1955
Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus — MERTENS 1956
Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus — ROZE 1955: 466
Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus — TEST et al. 1966
Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 214
Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus — WELCH 1994: 87
Micrurus mipartitus rozei GOLAY et al. 1999 (nom. emend.) 
Distributionmipartitus: Costa Rica, E Panama, Pacific coast of Colombia (incl. Valle del Cauca), Brazil (Rondônia)

anomalus: Colombia, W Venezuela (Zulia); Type locality: Colombia.

decussatus: Colombia, Ecuador

popayanensis: Colombia (Cauca); Type locality: “en el corregimiento de Sucre, Municipio de Bolívar, Dpto. del Cauca (2° 2’ N; y 76° 54’ W) el 11 de Enero de 1980 a 1400 m de altura sobre el nivel del mar por el Maestro de Escuela don Henry Muñoz y su Sra., Auxiliar de Enfermería Araceli de Muñoz en la finca “Las Cascadas” cerca de un trapiche de caña de azúcar.”

rozei: N Venezuela (Cordillera de la Costa); Type locality: Caracas, Venezuela.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesType: lost or unknown, used to be in MNHN, but no longer (PETERS 1960).
Holotype: MHNUC (CSA 85) [popayanensis]
Holotype: RMNH 1388 [rozei]
Holotype: BMNH 1946.1.17.30 [anomalus]
Holotype: MNHN-RA 3916 (skin), MNHN-RA 1999.7829 (formerly MNHN-RA 3916A; entire specimen)and MNHN-RA 1999.7830 (formerly MNHN-RA 3916B, skin only) [decussatus] 
Diagnosis 
CommentSynonymy: Previously M. mipartitus and M. multifasciatus have been regarded as the same species. Therefore, older records of mipartitus from Nicaragua and Costa Rica represent most likely multifasciatus. Micrurus mipartitus hertwigi (WERNER 1897) is currently listed as Micrurus multifasciatus hertwigi.
M. m. popayanensis is barely distinct from M. m. de- cussatus and might be a synonym of it (Roze 1996: 198).

Venomous! 
EtymologyProbably mipartitus is abbreviated Latin for semi meaning half and parti meaning divided. It refers to the half black and half white bands of this coral snake. Aequicinctus comes from the Latin word aequa meaning equal and cinctus meaning girdle; thus girdled or surrounded by bands of equal size. Microps is from the Creek word micro meaning small or minute, probably alluding to the small size of the head and eyes (from Roze 1996: 197).
M. m. anomalus is from Greek anomalo meaning uneven or irregular, alluding to the abnormal condition of the contact of the mental with the genials found in the type specimen (from Roze 1996: 197).
M. m. decussatus is from decusso, Latin for crosswise, in the shape of the letter X; thus decussatus means marked with crosswise markings, alluding to its black cross-bands. Fraseri is named after Mt. Fraser, who collected specimens, inc1uding this holotype, for the British Museum. Calamus is Latin for reed or reed-shaped stalk, alluding to the elongate body of this coral snake. Mentalis refers to the fact that in the type specimen the mental shield is in contact with the genials.
M. m. semipartitus is from Latin semi meaning half and parti meaning divided, alluding to the coloration divided between black and white bands.
M. m. rozei is named after Janis Roze.
 
References
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