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Micrurus fulvius (LINNAEUS, 1766)

IUCN Red List - Micrurus fulvius - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaElapidae, Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: North American coral snake, Eastern Coral Snake, Harlequin Coralsnake
G: Harlekin-Korallennatter 
SynonymColuber fulvius LINNAEUS 1766
? Coluber fulvius Var. (H.) HARLAN 1825: 155
Elaps fulvius — BAIRD & GIRARD 1853: 21
Elaps fulvius — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 1215
Elaps fulvius — GARMAN 1884: 105
Micrurus fulvius barbouri SCHMIDT 1928: 64
Elaps fulvius — BOULENGER 1896
Elaps fulvius — BARBOUR & COLE 1906: 153
Micrurus fulvius fulvius — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 224
Micrurus fulvius fulvius — WELCH 1994: 83
Micrurus fulvius — SLOWINSKI 1995
Micrurus fulvius fulvius — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 470
Micrurus fulvius — CROTHER et al. 2012
Micrurus fulvius — WALLACH et al. 2014: 447
Micrurus fulvius — REYES-VELASCO et al. 2020 
DistributionUSA (S/C/E Texas, Louisiana, S Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, SE North Carolina).

Type locality: Carolina.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: unknown to exist fide ROZE 1996: 177
Holotype: MCZ 13658, a male from Paradise Key, Dade County, Florida, United States [barbouri] 
DiagnosisAdditional details, e.g. a detailed description or comparisons (563 characters), are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSubspecies: Micrurus fulvius fitzingeri (JAN 1858), M. f. maculatus and Micrurus fulvius microgalbineus (BROWN & SMITH 1942) are considered as subspecies of tener by LINER. The status of barbouri is unclear. [barbouri is not a valid subspecies--but tener is now considered a full species: Collins, 1991, Roze, 1996, Liner, 1994, Boundy in Crother, 2000].

Venomous! 
EtymologyThe name fulvius is derived from Latin for orange or orange-yellow. It was given, apparently, upon observation of preserved specimens in which the coral red pattern had faded to yellowish orange. 
References
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  • Baird, S. F. and C. Girard. 1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part 1.-Serpents. Smithsonian Inst., Washington, xvi + 172 pp. - get paper here
  • Barbour, T., and L. J. Cole. 1906. Vertebrata from Yucatan. Reptilia, Amphibia and Pisces. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard 50: 146-159 - get paper here
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