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Micrurus surinamensis (CUVIER, 1817)

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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes) 
Subspecies 
Common NamesAquatic Coral Snake 
SynonymElaps surinamensis CUVIER 1817: 84
Elaps surinamensis — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 1224
Micrurus surinamensis — BEEBE 1919: 216
Micrurus surinamensis — PETERS & OREJAS-MIRANDA 1970: 219
Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis — DUELLMAN 1978: 262
Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis — GASC & RODRIGUES 1980
Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis — WELCH 1994: 89
Micrurus surinamensis — STARACE 1998: 367
Micrurus surinamensis — WHITHWORTH & BEIRNE 2011
Micrurus surinamensis — WALLACH et al. 2014: 454 
DistributionFrench Guiana, Guyana, the Amazon region of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil (Mato Grosso, Pará), Bolivia

Type locality: Suriname.  
Reproductionoviparous. 
TypesLectotype: MNHN-RA 3926, male from Suriname, probably collected by Levaillant(?); originally syntype, designated as lectotype by Schmidt (1952); paralectotype: MNHN-RA 3925 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Distinguished from other species of the genus by frontal scale narrower than supraoculars; only one supralabial (4th) contacting the eye; head flattened with nostrils and eyes directed upwards; process pseudocoronoid extremely developed; distinguished from M. nattereri by having 16–174 (instead of 180–19) ventrals in males and 169–187 (instead of 193–21) ventrals in females; supratemporals extending well beyond exoccipitals rather than reaching only the posterior portion of exoccipitals in M. nattereri; posterior portion of parietal bone with a conspicuous sharp projection which is blunter in M. nattereri (from PASSOS & FERNANDES 200).
 
CommentVenomous!

Subspecies: Micrurus surinamensis nattereri SCHMIDT 192 has been elevated to full species status.

Habitat: Micrurus surinamensis is aquatic 
Etymologynamed after its type locality and distribution. 
References
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