Coral snakes are a large group of

elapid Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids , from , variant of "sea-fish") is a family (biology), family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mouth. Most elapids are venomous, with the exception of the genus ...

snakes Snakes are elongated Limbless vertebrate, limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales much like other members of ...

that can be divided into two distinct groups, the

Old World The "Old World" () is a term for Afro-Eurasia coined by Europeans after 1493, when they became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia in the Eastern Hemisphere, previously ...

coral snakes and

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

coral snakes. There are 27

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of Old World coral snakes, in three

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

(''

Calliophis ''Calliophis'' is a genus of elapid snakes, one of several known commonly as oriental coral snakes or Asian coral snakes. Species Species in this genus are: * '' Calliophis beddomei'' ( M.A. Smith, 1943) – Beddome's coral snake (India) * ...

'', ''

Hemibungarus ''Hemibungarus'' is a genus of venomous elapid snakes commonly known as barred coral snakes. Distribution ''Hemibungarus'' species are endemic to the Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Arch ...

'', and ''

Sinomicrurus ''Sinomicrurus'' is a genus of venomous Elapidae, elapid snakes, one of several Genus, genera commonly known as Asian coral snakes or oriental coral snakes. The genus includes nine subtropical species found in Asia. Molecular and morphological ana ...

''), and 83 recognized species of New World coral snakes, in two genera (''

Micruroides ''Micruroides'' is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species ''Micruroides euryxanthus''. ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', commonly known as the Sonoran coral snake, western coral sn ...

'' and ''

Micrurus ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *'' Micrurus albicinctus' ...

''). Genetic studies have found that the most basal lineages have origins in Asia, suggesting that the group originated in the Old World. While new world species of both genera are venomous, their bites are seldom lethal; only two confirmed fatalities have been documented in the past 100 years from the genus ''Micrurus''. Meanwhile, snakes of the genus ''Micruroides'' have never caused a medically significant bite.

North American coloration patterns

Experts now recognize that certain coloration patterns and common mnemonics—such as the phrase “Red against yellow, deadly fellow; red against black, friendly Jack,” which people sometimes use to distinguish between the venomous coral snake and the non-venomous

milksnake The milk snake or milksnake (''Lampropeltis triangulum''), is a species of kingsnake; up to 24 subspecies are sometimes recognized. ''Lampropeltis elapsoides'', the scarlet kingsnake, was formerly classified as a 25th subspecies (''L. t. elapsoid ...

—are not consistent enough to be trustworthy. While any snake exhibiting the coral snake's color and/or banding pattern in the southeastern United States will almost certainly, in fact, be a coral snake, there are coral snakes in other parts of the world that are colored differently. Coral snakes in the United States are most notable for their red, yellow/white, and black-colored banding. However, several nonvenomous species in the U.S. have similar (though not identical) bandings, including the two scarlet snake species in the genus '' Cemophora'', and some of the

kingsnake Kingsnakes are Colubridae, colubrid New World members of the genus ''Lampropeltis'', which includes 26 species. Among these, about 45 subspecies are recognized. They are nonvenomous and ophiophagy, ophiophagous in diet. Description Kingsnakes ...

s (including the aforementioned milksnakes) in the genus ''Lampropeltis''. However, in reference to the mnemonic phrase “red touching yellow, a deadly fellow,” some of these kingsnakes do not naturally display any red touching yellow, to begin with. Additionally, some ground snakes in the genus ''

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

'' (of the southwestern U.S.) can have a color pattern that matches that of the

sympatric In biology, two closely related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter each other. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct spe ...

Sonoran coral snake (''Micruroides euryxanthus''). No genuine coral snake in the U.S. exhibits red bands of color, in contact with bands of black, except in rare cases of an aberrant pattern. Thus, while on extremely rare occasions when a certain non-venomous snake might be mistaken for a coral snake, the mnemonic holds true. However, a red–yellow–black banded snake in the U.S. (whose red and black banding actually touch) is rarely a venomous coral snake. Furthermore, the mnemonic is not consistently accurate for North American coral snake species found south of the U.S., either. Some species, like Mexico’s Oaxacan coral snake (''Micrurus ephippifer'') or Clark's coral snake (''Micrurus clarki'', of Costa Rica & Panama), do actually fit the mnemonic; others, like the Honduran Roatan coral snake (''Micrurus ruatanus''), or the redtail coral snake (''Micrurus mipartitus'') of Panama, do not. Further still, some South American coral snakes will fit the mnemonic, while others do not. To complicate the issue more, the South American tricolored hognose snake (''Xenodon pulcher'') has repeated bands of red-black-white-black, imitating the coral snake as a defense mechanism, with the key visual difference being their upturned snout (used for burrowing). The hognoses are, actually, mildly rear-fanged venomous; although generally not considered serious to humans, anecdotal research has suggested the South American hognoses to possess slightly more potent venom than the North American hognoses. In the Old World, none of the coral snake species usually fit the mnemonic. Most species of coral snake are small in size. North American species average around in length, but specimens of up to or slightly larger have been reported. Some coral snakes even live in the water but most of them do not. Aquatic species have flattened tails that act as fins, aiding in swimming.

Behavior

Coral snakes vary widely in their behavior, but most are very elusive,

fossorial A fossorial animal () is one that is adapted to digging and which lives primarily (but not solely) underground. Examples of fossorial vertebrates are Mole (animal), moles, badgers, naked mole-rats, meerkats, armadillos, wombats, and mole salamand ...

(burrowing) snakes which spend most of their time buried beneath the ground or in the

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall, or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that has fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituen ...

of a

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

floor, coming to the surface only when it rains or during breeding season. Some species, like ''Micrurus surinamensis'', are almost entirely

aquatic Aquatic means relating to water; living in or near water or taking place in water; does not include groundwater, as "aquatic" implies an environment where plants and animals live. Aquatic(s) may also refer to: * Aquatic animal, either vertebrate ...

and spend most of their lives in slow-moving bodies of water that have dense vegetation. Coral snakes feed mostly on smaller snakes, lizards, frogs, nestling birds, small rodents, etc. Like all elapid snakes, coral snakes possess a pair of small hollow fangs to deliver their venom. The fangs are positioned at the front of the mouth. The fangs are fixed in position rather than retractable, and rather than being directly connected to the venom duct, they have a small groove through which the venom enters the base of the fangs. Because the fangs are relatively small and inefficient for venom delivery, rather than biting quickly and letting go (like

viper Vipers are snakes in the family Viperidae, found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, New Zealand, Ireland, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipe ...

s), coral snakes tend to hold onto their prey and make chewing motions when biting. The venom takes time to reach full effect. It is a neurotoxin, affecting the lymphatic nervous system and weakening the muscles. Coral snakes are not aggressive or prone to biting and account for less than one percent of the total number of snake bites each year in the United States. The life span of coral snakes in captivity is about seven years.

Reproduction

''M. fulvius'' reproduction is internal fertilization through the use of

hemipenes A hemipenis (: hemipenes) is one of a pair of intromittent organs of male squamates (snakes and lizards). Hemipenes are usually held inverted within the body, and are everted for reproduction via erectile tissue, much like that in the human peni ...

. The breeding season occurs from spring to early summer and late summer to early fall. Male combat is not typical in ''M. fulvius'' as males are smaller than females. ''Micrurus fulvius'' are oviparous and typically lay eggs from May to July. During early spring females will undergo sudden vitellogenesis–oocyte and yolk formation–in preparation for breeding. Approximately 37 days post fertilization oviposition occurs and the average clutch size ranges from five to seven eggs. However, some in captivity have laid as many as thirteen eggs. The incubation period of the ''M. fulvius'' eggs normally reaches 60 days. Males also undergo sexual changes throughout the year, testicular recrudescence start in the fall and testicular regression occurs come spring. However, males typically have mature sperm residing in the epididymis year round and are capable of storing sperm in the deferent duct over the winter till the females are receptive. A study investigating how climate influences the reproductive cycle discovered species found closer to the equator displayed more continuous cycles while those in colder regions had more seasonal cycles. With increasing temperatures as a result of climate change, continuous cycles have the possibility of becoming more prevalent. Offspring reach maturation depending on sex, males mature at roughly 11 to 16 months while females reach maturity later at 26 months.

Distribution (U.S.)

New World coral snakes exist in the southern range of many temperate U.S. states. Coral snakes are found in scattered localities in the southern coastal plains from North Carolina to Louisiana, including all of Florida. They can be found in pine and scrub oak sandhill habitats in parts of this range, but sometimes inhabit hardwood areas and pine flatwoods that undergo seasonal flooding. There is controversy about the classification of the very similar Texas coral snake as a separate species. Its habitat, in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas is separated from the eastern coral snake's habitat by the Mississippi River. The coral snake population is most dense in the southeastern United States. The

Arizona coral snake ''Micruroides'' is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species ''Micruroides euryxanthus''. ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', commonly known as the Sonoran coral snake, western coral sn ...

is classified as a separate species and genus and is found in central and southern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico and southward to

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales. It is located in northwest Mexic ...

in western Mexico. It occupies arid and semiarid regions in many different habitat types, including thornscrub, desert-scrub, woodland, grassland and farmland. It is found in the plains and lower mountain slopes, at elevations ranging from sea level to ; often found in rocky areas.

Danger to humans

New World coral snakes possess one of the most potent

venoms Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

of any North American snake. However, relatively few

bite Biting is an action involving a set of teeth closing down on an object. It is a common zoological behavior, being found in toothed animals such as mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and arthropods. Biting is also an action humans participate ...

s are recorded due to their reclusive nature and the fact they generally inhabit sparsely populated areas. Even in areas that are densely populated, bites are rare. According to the American National Institutes of Health, there are an average of 15–25 coral snake bites in the United States each year. When confronted by humans, coral snakes will almost always attempt to flee, and bite only if restrained. In addition, coral snakes have short

fang A fang is a long, pointed tooth. In mammals, a fang is a modified maxillary tooth, used for biting and tearing flesh. In snakes, it is a specialized tooth that is associated with a venom gland (see snake venom). Spiders also have external fangs, ...

s ( proteroglyph dentition) that cannot penetrate thick clothing although bites are possible through normal thin clothing. Any skin penetration, however, is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Historically, the venom of the North American ''Micrurus'' and ''Micruroides'' species was believed to contain powerful

neurotoxins Neurotoxins are toxins that are destructive to nerve tissue (causing neurotoxicity). Neurotoxins are an extensive class of exogenous chemical neurological insultsSpencer 2000 that can adversely affect function in both developing and mature n ...

which could paralyze the breathing muscles, requiring mechanical or artificial respiration. It was usually reported that there was only mild pain associated with a bite and that respiratory failure could occur and onset of clinical symptoms may be delayed for as much as 10 to 18 hours. Coral snake venom contains a neurotoxic component and symptoms include pain from the bite, sialorrhea, paresthesia, ptosis, weakness, blurred vision, paralysis, fasciculation and diplopia. However recent studies on the bites of the Texas coral snake (''Micrurus tener)'' have shown that these bites rarely require antivenom, don't usually show any systemic respiratory problems and can be intensely painful. Further studies are necessary to see if these clinical features are true of all ''Micrurus'' species. Body length in coral snakes appears to be positively associated with venom yield. Shortages of coral snake antivenom were previously reported, but one source states that production has resumed and, Pfizer indicates that antivenom is available.

Old World

Genus ''Calliophis''

Species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in this genus are: *'' Calliophis beddomei'' (

M.A. Smith Malcolm Arthur Smith (1875 in New Malden, Surrey – 1958 in Ascot, Berkshire, Ascot) was a Herpetology, herpetologist and physician working in the Malay Peninsula. Early life Smith was interested in reptiles and amphibians from an early age. Aft ...

, 1943) – Beddome's coral snake (

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

) *''

Calliophis bibroni ''Calliophis bibroni'', commonly known as Bibron's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to India. Etymology The specific name, ''bibroni'', is in honor of Gabriel Bibron (1806–1848), Frenc ...

'' (

Jan Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Num ...

, 1858) – Bibron's coral snake (India) *'' Calliophis bilineatus'' *''

Calliophis bivirgatus ''Calliophis bivirgatus'' is a species of snake in the family Elapidae known commonly as the blue coral snake or blue Malayan coral snake.

'' (

F. Boie Friedrich Boie (4 June 1789 – 3 March 1870) was a German entomologist, herpetologist, ornithologist, and lawyer.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University ...

, 1827) –

blue Malaysian coral snake ''Calliophis bivirgatus'' is a species of snake in the family Elapidae known commonly as the blue coral snake or blue Malayan coral snake.

(

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

) *''

Calliophis castoe ''Calliophis castoe'', or Castoe's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Western Ghats in western peninsular India. Etymology ''C. castoe'' is named after biologist, Todd A. Castoe. G ...

'' E.N. Smith, Ogale,

Deepak Deepak ( / ) is a Hindi word meaning "lamp", from the Sanskrit source word for light. The name Deepak symbolizes a bright future. In the twentieth century, it became very popular as a first name for male Hindus. Names like ''Deepa'' (now commonl ...

& Giri, 2012 – Castoe's coral snake (India) *''

Calliophis gracilis ''Calliophis gracilis'', is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. References

Calliophis, gracilis Reptiles of Thailand Reptiles of Indonesia Reptiles of the Malay Peninsula Reptiles described in 1835 Taxa named by John Edwar ...

'' (

Gray Grey (more frequent in British English) or gray (more frequent in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning that it has no chroma. It is the color of a cloud-covered s ...

, 1835) – spotted coral snake (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore) *''

Calliophis haematoetron ''Calliophis haematoetron'', commonly known as the blood-bellied coralsnake or blood-bellied coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to Sri Lanka. Geographic range It is found in central lowlands of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka ...

'' E.N. Smith, Manamendra-Arachchi & Somaweera, 2008 – blood-bellied coral snake (

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

) *''

Calliophis intestinalis ''Calliophis intestinalis'', commonly known as the banded Malayan coral snake, is a species of venomous Elapidae, elapid snake Endemism, endemic to Southeast Asia. Geographic range ''C. intestinalis'' is found in Borneo, Indonesia, Java, and Ma ...

'' (

Laurenti Laurenti is a surname. It may refer to: People *Adolfo Laurenti (1856-1944), Italian sculptor *Camillo Laurenti (1861–1938), Italian cardinal *Cesare Laurenti (engineer), Italian designer of submarines influencing HMS ''Swordfish'' (1916) *Cesar ...

, 1768) – banded Malaysian coral snake (

) *''

Calliophis maculiceps ''Calliophis maculiceps'', commonly known as the speckled coral snake or the small-spotted coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake endemic to Southeast Asia. Five subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies. Geog ...

'' ( Günther, 1858) – speckled coral snake (

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

) *'' Calliophis melanurus'' ( Shaw, 1802) – Indian coral snake (

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

) *'' Calliophis nigrescens'' (Günther, 1862) – black coral snake (India) *'' Calliophis nigrotaeniatus'' *'' Calliophis philippinus'' *'' Calliophis salitan'' R.M. Brown,

Smart ''SMart'' was a British CBBC television programme based on art, which began in 1994 and ended in 2009. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London. Previously it had been recorded in Studio A at Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingha ...

Leviton Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc. is an American manufacturer of electrical wiring equipment in North America. The company produces electrical outlets and Light switches, as well as GFCI and USB charging devices, network infrastructure, l ...

& E.N. Smith, 2018 – Dinagat Island Banded Coralsnake (Philippines) *'' Calliophis suluensis'' ''

Nota bene ( ; plural: ) is the Latin language, Latin phrase meaning ''note well''. In manuscripts, ''nota bene'' is abbreviated in upper-case as NB and N.B., and in lower-case as n.b. and nb; the editorial usages of ''nota bene'' and ''notate bene'' fi ...

'': A

binomial authority In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, altho ...

in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than ''Calliophis''.

Genus ''Hemibungarus''

Species in this genus are: *''

Hemibungarus calligaster ''Hemibungarus calligaster'' is a species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. ...

'' ( Wiegmann, 1835) – barred coral snake (

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

) *'' Hemibungarus gemianulis'' W. Peters, 1872 – (Philippines) *'' Hemibungarus mcclungi''

Genus ''Sinomicrurus''

Species in this genus are: *'' Sinomicrurus annularis'' *'' Sinomicrurus boettgeri'' *''

Sinomicrurus iwasakii ''Sinomicrurus iwasakii'', the Iwasaki's temperate Asian coralsnake, is a rare species of coral snake from the Ishigaki Island, Ishigaki and Iriomote Island, Iriomote islands of the Yaeyama Group, Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. ''S. i ...

'' *'' Sinomicrurus japonicus'' (Günther, 1868) – Japanese coral snake (

Ryukyu Islands The , also known as the or the , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Geography of Taiwan, Taiwan: the Ryukyu Islands are divided into the Satsunan Islands (Ōsumi Islands, Ōsumi, Tokara Islands, Tokara and A ...

) *'' Sinomicrurus kelloggi'' (

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, 1928) – Kellogg's coral snake (

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

) *''

Sinomicrurus macclellandi ''Sinomicrurus macclellandi'', commonly known as MacClelland's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to southern and eastern Asia. There are three recognized subspecies. Etymology The speci ...

'' ( J.T. Reinhardt, 1844) – Macclelland's coral snake (

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

) *'' Sinomicrurus peinani'' *'' Sinomicrurus sauteri'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner descri ...

, 1913) (Taiwan) *'' Sinomicrurus swinhoei''

New World

Genus ''
Micruroides ''Micruroides'' is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species ''Micruroides euryxanthus''. ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', commonly known as the Sonoran coral snake, western coral sn ...
''

*'' Micruroides euryxanthus'' ( Kennicott, 1860) – Arizona coral snake (lowland regions from

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

) **'' Micruroides euryxanthus australis'' Zweifel & Norris, 1955 **'' Micruroides euryxanthus euryxanthus'' ( Kennicott, 1860) **'' Micruroides euryxanthus neglectus''

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, 1967

Genus ''
Micrurus ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *'' Micrurus albicinctus' ...
''

'': In the following list, a binomial authority or a trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Micrurus''. *''

Micrurus albicinctus ''Micrurus albicinctus'', the white-banded coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil and Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in ...

'' Amaral, 1925 – White-banded Coral Snake *''

Micrurus alleni ''Micrurus alleni'', the arrow-headed coral snake or Allen's coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is ...

'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 – Allen's coral snake (eastern

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

) **'' Micrurus alleni alleni'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 **'' Micrurus alleni richardi''

Taylor Taylor, Taylors or Taylor's may refer to: People * Taylor (surname) ** List of people with surname Taylor * Taylor (given name), including Tayla and Taylah * Taylor sept, a branch of Scottish clan Cameron * Justice Taylor (disambiguation) ...

, 1951 **'' Micrurus alleni yatesi'' Taylor, 1954 *''

Micrurus altirostris ''Micrurus altirostris'' is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae Elapidae (, commonly known as elapids , from , variant of "sea-fish") is a family of snakes characterized by their permanently erect fangs at the front of the mout ...

'' (

Cope A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...

, 1860) (

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, and northeastern

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

) *''

Micrurus ancoralis ''Micrurus ancoralis'', the regal coral snake or anchor coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in north ...

, 1872 – regal coral snake (southeastern

, western

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

, and western

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

) **'' Micrurus ancoralis ancoralis'' Jan 1872 **'' Micrurus ancoralis jani'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 *''

Micrurus annellatus ''Micrurus annellatus'', commonly known as annellated coral snake, is a species of venomous elapid snake native to southeastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, Bolivia, and western Brazil. There are three recognized subspecies In Taxonomy (biology ...

'' ( W. Peters, 1871) – annellated coral snake (southeastern

, eastern

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

, and western

) **'' Micrurus annellatus annellatus'' (W. Peters, 1871) **'' Micrurus annellatus balzanii'' (

Boulenger Boulenger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Benjamin Boulenger (born 1990), French footballer * Edward George Boulenger (1888–1946), British zoologist, director of aquarium at London Zoo * George Albert Boulenger (1858– ...

, 1898) **'' Micrurus annellatus bolivianus''

, 1967 *''

Micrurus averyi ''Micrurus averyi'', also known commonly as Avery's coral snake and the black-headed coral snake, is a species of coral snake, a venomous snake in the genus '' Micrurus'' of the family Elapidae. The species is indigenous to northern South Ame ...

'' K.P. Schmidt, 1939 – black-headed coral snake *''

Micrurus baliocoryphus ''Micrurus baliocoryphus'' is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Like the other members of its family, it is venomous. It is found in South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostl ...

'' (Cope, 1860) – Mesopotamian coral snake *''

Micrurus bernadi ''Micrurus tener'', commonly known as the Texas coral snake, is a species of snake in the family Elapidae. It is native to the southern United States and adjacent northeastern and central Mexico. Six subspecies are recognized as being valid, in ...

'' (Cope, 1887) (

) *''

Micrurus bocourti ''Micrurus bocourti'', the false triad coral snake or Ecuador coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Ecuador and Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South Americ ...

'' (Jan 1872) – Ecuadorian coral snake (western

to northern

) *''

Micrurus bogerti Bogert's coral snake (''Micrurus bogerti)'' is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to southern Mexico. Etymology The specific name, ''bogerti'', is in honor of American herpetologist Charles Mitchill Bog ...

'' Roze, 1967 – Bogert's coral snake (

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

) *''

Micrurus boicora ''Micrurus boicora'' is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Brazil. Geographic range ''M. boicora'' is known from southern Rondônia and northern Mato Grosso, Brazil. (''Micrurus boicora'', new species ...

'' Bernarde, Turci, Abegg &

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" * Franco of Cologne (mid to late 13th cent ...

, 2018 – Boicora Coral Snake *''

Micrurus brasiliensis ''Micrurus brasiliensis'', the Brazilian short-tailed coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. ...

'' Roze, 1967 – Brazilian short-tailed coral snake *'' Micrurus browni'' K.P. Schmidt & H.M. Smith, 1943 – Brown's coral snake (

Quintana Roo Quintana Roo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 administrative divisions of Mexico, federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into municipalities of ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

) **'' Micrurus browni browni'' K.P. Schmidt & H.M. Smith, 1943 **'' Micrurus browni importunus'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus browni taylori'' K.P. Schmidt & H.M. Smith, 1943 *''

Micrurus camilae ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *''Micrurus albicinctus'' ...

'' Renjifo & Lundberg, 2003 (

) *'' Micrurus catamayensis'' Roze, 1989 – Catamayo coral snake (Catamayo Valley of

) *''

Micrurus clarki ''Micrurus clarki'', also known commonly as Clark's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central America and northwestern South America. Etymology The specific name, ''clarki'', is in hono ...

'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 – Clark's coral snake (southeastern

to western

) *''

Micrurus collaris ''Micrurus collaris'', the Guyana blackback coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Specimens have been identified mostly in Bolívar (state), Roraima, Amapá, and the Oko Mountains.https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/s ...

'' (

Schlegel Schlegel is a German occupational surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anthony Schlegel (born 1981), American football player * August Wilhelm Schlegel (1767–1845), German poet, brother of Friedrich * Brad Schlegel (born 1968), C ...

, 1837) – Guyana blackback coral snake (northern

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

) ** '' Micrurus collaris collaris'' (Schlegel, 1837) ** '' Micrurus collaris breviventris''

& Bernal-Carlo, 1987 *'' Micrurus corallinus'' (

Merrem Merrem may refer to: * Meropenem, an antibiotic initially marketed under the trade name Merrem * Blasius Merrem Blasius Merrem (4 February 1761 – 23 February 1824) was a German natural history, naturalist, zoologist, Ornithology, ornithologist ...

, 1820) – painted coral snake *'' Micrurus decoratus'' (Jan 1858) – Brazilian coral snake *'' Micrurus diana'' Roze, 1983 – Diana's coral snake *''

Micrurus diastema ''Micrurus diastema'', commonly known as the variable coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to southeastern Mexico and northern Central America. There are seven recognized subspecies. Distrib ...

'' (

A.M.C. Duméril AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** AM ...

Bibron Gabriel Bibron (20 October 1805 – 27 March 1848) was a French zoologist and herpetologist. He was born in Paris. The son of an employee of the Museum national d'histoire naturelle, he had a good foundation in natural history and was hire ...

& A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – variable coral snake **'' Micrurus diastema aglaeope'' (Cope, 1859) **'' Micrurus diastema alienus'' (

F. Werner Franz Josef Maria Werner (15 August 1867 in Vienna – 28 February 1939 in Vienna) was an Austrians, Austrian zoology, zoologist and exploration, explorer. Specializing as a herpetology, herpetologist and entomology, entomologist, Werner describ ...

, 1903) **'' Micrurus diastema affinis'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus diastema apiatus'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus diastema diastema'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) **'' Micrurus diastema macdougalli'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus diastema sapperi'' (F. Werner, 1903) *'' Micrurus dissoleucus'' (Cope, 1860) – pygmy coral snake **'' Micrurus dissoleucus dissoleucus'' (Cope, 1860) **'' Micrurus dissoleucus dunni'' Barbour, 1923 **'' Micrurus dissoleucus melanogenys'' (Cope, 1860) **'' Micrurus dissoleucus meridensis'' Roze, 1989 **'' Micrurus dissoleucus nigrirostris'' K.P. Schmidt, 1955 *''

Micrurus distans ''Micrurus distans'', the clear-banded coral snake or West Mexican coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezue ...

'' ( Kennicott, 1860) – West Mexican coral snake **'' Micrurus distans distans'' (Kennicott, 1860) **'' Micrurus distans michoacanensis'' ( Dugės, 1891) **'' Micrurus distans oliveri'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus distans zweifeli'' Roze, 1967 *''

Micrurus diutius ''Micrurus diutius'', the Trinidad ribbon coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Specimens have been identified near Tunapuna. "Diutius" is Latin for "too long".https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Micruru ...

Burger Burger or Burgers may refer to: Food and drink Foods * Hamburger, a food consisting of one or more cooked beef patties, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun roll. ** Cheeseburger, a hamburger with added cheese(s) * Ground beef, minced bee ...

, 1955 – Trinidad Ribbon Coral Snake *'' Micrurus dumerilii'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus dumerilii antioquiensis'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 **'' Micrurus dumerilii carinicaudus'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 **'' Micrurus dumerilii colombianus'' (

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

, 1916) **'' Micrurus dumerilii dumerilii'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus dumerilii transandinus'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 **'' Micrurus dumerilii venezuelensis'' Roze, 1989 *''

Micrurus elegans The elegant coral snake (''Micrurus elegans'') is a species of elapid snake, native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. There are two recognized subspecies. Geographic range ''M. elegans'' occurs at elevations from above sea level in southern Mex ...

'' (Jan 1858) – elegant coral snake **'' Micrurus elegans elegans'' (Jan 1858) **''

Micrurus elegans veraepacis ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *''Micrurus albicinctus'' ...

'' K.P. Schmidt, 1933 *''

Micrurus ephippifer ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *''Micrurus albicinctus'' ...

'' (Cope, 1886) –

n coral snake **''

Micrurus ephippifer ephippifer ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *''Micrurus albicinctus'' ...

'' (Cope, 1886) **'' Micrurus ephippifer zapotecus'' Roze, 1989 *'' Micrurus filiformis'' ( Günther, 1859) – slender coral snake **'' Micrurus filiformis filiformis'' (Günther, 1859) **'' Micrurus filiformis subtilis'' Roze, 1967 *''

Micrurus frontalis ''Micrurus frontalis'', also known as the southern coral snake or short-tailed coral snake, is a species of highly venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. It is found in South America. Description This species grows on average to 75 cm i ...

'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – southern coral snake (

to northeastern

) **'' Micrurus frontalis frontalis'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) **'' Micrurus frontalis mesopotamicus'' Barrio & Miranda, 1967 *''

Micrurus fulvius ''Micrurus fulvius'', Common name, commonly known as the eastern coral snake,John L. Behler, Behler John L.; Frederic Wayne King, King, F. Wayne (1979). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. New York: Alf ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

, 1766) – eastern coral snake (

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

coastal plains of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

) *''

Micrurus hemprichii ''Micrurus hemprichii'', commonly known as Hemprich's coral snake, Orange-banded coral snake and the worm-eating coral snake, is a species of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to South America. Etymology The spe ...

'' (Jan 1858) – Hemprich's coral snake/Orange-banded coral snake **'' Micrurus hemprichii hemprichii'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus hemprichii ortoni'' K.P. Schmidt, 1953 **'' Micrurus hemprichii rondonianus'' Roze &

Silva Silva, da Silva, and de Silva are surnames of Portuguese or Galician origin which are widespread in the Portuguese-speaking countries including Brazil. The name is derived from Latin ("forest" or "woodland"). It is the family name of the Hous ...

, 1990 *''

Micrurus hippocrepis ''Micrurus hippocrepis'' (Mayan coral snake) is a species of elapid snake, native to Guatemala and Belize.

'' (W. Peters, 1862) –

Mayan Mayan most commonly refers to: * Maya peoples, various indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Maya civilization, pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica and northern Central America * Mayan languages, language family spoken ...

coral snake *''

Micrurus ibiboboca ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *''Micrurus albicinctus'' ...

'' (Merrem, 1820) –

Caatinga Caatinga () is a type of semi-arid tropical vegetation, and an ecoregion characterized by this vegetation in interior northeastern Brazil. The name "Caatinga" comes from the Tupi word '' ka'atinga'', meaning "white forest" or "white vegetat ...

coral snake *''

Micrurus isozonus ''Micrurus isozonus'', the equal-banded coral snake, Venezuela coral snake, or Sandner's coral snake, is a species of snake of the Family (biology), family Elapidae. The snake species distribution, is found in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, and Venez ...

'' (Cope, 1860) –

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

coral snake *''

Micrurus langsdorffi ''Micrurus langsdorffi'', also known commonly as the confused coral snake and Langsdorff's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to northwestern South America. www.reptile-database.org. Etymol ...

'' ( Wagler, 1824) – Langsdorff's coral snake *''

Micrurus laticollaris ''Micrurus laticollaris'' (double collar coral snake) is a species of elapid snake, native to Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders ...

'' (W. Peters, 1870) – Balsan coral snake **'' Micrurus laticollaris laticollaris'' (W. Peters, 1870) **'' Micrurus laticollaris maculirostris'' Roze, 1967 *''

Micrurus latifasciatus ''Micrurus latifasciatus'', the long-banded coral snake or broad-ringed coral snake, is a species of elapidae, elapid snake, native to southern Mexico and Guatemala.Micrurus lemniscatus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) –

n coral snake (most of low-lying areas of South America) **'' Micrurus lemniscatus carvalhoi'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus lemniscatus frontifasciatus'' (F. Werner, 1927) **'' Micrurus lemniscatus helleri'' K.P. Schmidt & F.J.W. Schmidt, 1925 **'' Micrurus lemniscatus lemniscatus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *'' Micrurus limbatus''

Fraser Fraser may refer to: Places Antarctica * Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands Australia * Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen * Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal ...

, 1964 – Tuxtlan coral snake **'' Micrurus limbatus limbatus'' Fraser, 1964 **'' Micrurus limbatus spilosomus'' Pérez-Higareda & H.M. Smith, 1990 *'' Micrurus margaritiferus'' Roze, 1967 – Speckled coral snake *''

Micrurus medemi ''Micrurus medemi'', the Villavicencio coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Specimens have been identified mostly in Meta Department. It was named after Friedrich Johann Graf von Medem Friedrich Johann Graf von Mede ...

'' Roze, 1967 – Villavicencio coral snake *''

Micrurus meridensis ''Micrurus meridensis'', the Merida coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South Ameri ...

'' (Roze, 1989) – Merida's coral snake *''

Micrurus mertensi ''Micrurus mertensi'', Mertens's coral snake or Peruvian desert coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Ecuador and Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South Americ ...

'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 – Merten's coral snake *''

Micrurus mipartitus ''Micrurus mipartitus'' (red-tailed coral snake or many-banded coral snake) is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central America and northern South America. The red-tailed coral snake is common in agricult ...

'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) – redtail coral snake **'' Micrurus mipartitus anomalus'' (Boulenger, 1896) **'' Micrurus mipartitus decussatus'' (A.M.C. Duméril,

, & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) **'' Micrurus mipartitus mipartitus'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) **'' Micrurus mipartitus semipartitus'' (Jan 1858) *''

Micrurus mosquitensis ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *'' Micrurus albicinctus' ...

'' Schmidt, 1933 – Misquito coral snake *''

Micrurus multifasciatus ''Micrurus multifasciatus'', the many-banded coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin Am ...

'' (Jan 1858) – Many-banded coral snake **'' Micrurus multifasciatus multifasciatus'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus multifasciatus hertwigi'' (F. Werner, 1897) *''

Micrurus multiscutatus ''Micrurus multiscutatus'', the Cauca coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Colombia and Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordere ...

'' Rendahl & Vestergren, 1940 – Cauca coral snake *'' Micrurus narduccii'' (

, 1863) – Andean blackback coral snake **'' Micrurus narduccii narduccii'' (Jan 1863) **'' Micrurus narduccii melanotus'' ( W. Peters, 1881) *''

Micrurus nattereri ''Micrurus nattereri'', Natterer’s coral snake or Venezuelan aquatic coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Specimens have been identified mostly along the upper Orinoco River The Orinoco () is one of the longest r ...

'' (Schmidt, 1952) – Natterer's Coral Snake *''

Micrurus nebularis ''Micrurus nebularis'', the Neblina coral snake or cloud forest coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is th ...

'' Roze, 1989 – Cloud forest coral snake *''

Micrurus nigrocinctus ''Micrurus nigrocinctus'', commonly known as the Central American coral snake, is a species of a highly venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Latin America from southern Mexico, Central America, to north Colombia. The ...

'' ( Girard, 1854) –

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

n coral snake ( Yucatan and

Chiapas Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...

as well as western

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

islands) **''

Micrurus nigrocinctus babaspul ''Micrurus nigrocinctus babaspul'', or the ''babaspul'' (Creole for "barber's pole"), is a subspecies of ''Micrurus nigrocinctus'', commonly known as the Central American coral snake. ''M. n. babaspul'' is a venomous elapid from Big Corn Islan ...

'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus nigrocinctus coibensis'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 **'' Micrurus nigrocinctus divaricatus'' ( Hallowell, 1855) **'' Micrurus nigrocinctus nigrocinctus'' (Girard, 1854) **'' Micrurus nigrocinctus ovandoensis'' K.P. Schmidt & H.M. Smith, 1943 **'' Micrurus nigrocinctus wagneri''

Mertens __NOTOC__ Mertens () is a surname of Flanders, Flemish origin, meaning "son of Merten" (Martin (name), Martin). It is the fifth most common name in Belgium with 18,518 people in 2008. Geographical distribution As of 2014, 43.4% of all known bearer ...

, 1941 **''

Micrurus nigrocinctus yatesi ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *''Micrurus albicinctus'' ...

'' Dunn, 1942 **'' Micrurus nigrocinctus zunilensis'' K.P. Schmidt, 1932 *''

Micrurus obscurus ''Micrurus obscurus'', the black-neck Amazonian coral snake or Bolivian coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, ...

'' (Jan 1872) – Bolivian coral snake *'' Micrurus oligoanellatus'' (Ayerbe & Lopez, 2005) – Tambito's coral snake *''

Micrurus ornatissimus ''Micrurus ornatissimus'', the ornate coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Specimens have been identified in the Andean regions of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. "Ornatissimus" is Latin Latin ( or ) is a classica ...

'' (Jan 1858) – Ornate Coral Snake *''

Micrurus pacaraimae ''Micrurus pacaraimae'', the Pacaraima coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world' ...

'' Morato de Carvalho, 2002 – Pacaraima coral snake *'' Micrurus pachecogili'' Campbell, 2000 – Pueblan coral snake *''

Micrurus paraensis ''Micrurus paraensis'', the Pará coral snake, is a venomous species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil and Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also c ...

'' da Cunha & Nascimento, 1973 – Pará coral snake *''

Micrurus peruvianus ''Micrurus peruvianus'', the Peru coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae.https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Micrurus&species=peruvianus&search_param=%28%28taxon%3D%27Serpentes%27%29%29 RD It is found in P ...

'' K.P. Schmidt, 1936 –

vian coral snake *''

Micrurus petersi ''Micrurus petersi'', the mountain coral snake or Peters's coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, ...

'' Roze, 1967 – Peters' coral snake *''

Micrurus potyguara ''Micrurus potyguara'', the Potyguara coral snake, is a species of snake of the Family (biology), family Elapidae. The snake is Endemism, endemic to northeastern Brazil. References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18011537 Micrurus, potyguara Reptile ...

Pires Pires is a common surname in the Portuguese language, namely in Portugal and Brazil. It was originally a patronymic, meaning ''Son of Pedro'' or ''Son of Pero'' (). Its Spanish equivalent is ''Pérez''. It is a variant form of ''Peres''. It may me ...

, Silva, Feitosa, Prudente, Pereira-Filho & Zaher, 2014 – Potyguara coral snake *'' Micrurus proximans'' H.M. Smith & Chrapliwy, 1958 –

Nayarit Nayarit, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in Municipalities of Nayarit, 20 municipalit ...

coral snake *''

Micrurus psyches ''Micrurus psyches'', the northern coral snake, or the Carib coral snake, is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. Specimens have been identified in Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil, Trinidad, and Colombia Co ...

'' ( Daudin, 1803) – Carib coral snake **'' Micrurus psyches circinalis'' (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) **'' Micrurus psyches donosoi'' Hoge, Cordeiro &

Romano Romano may refer to: Food * Pecorino Romano, a hard, salty Italian cheese * Romano cheese, an American English and Canadian English term for a class of cheeses Places Italy Municipalities in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Latium * Arcinazzo Ro ...

, 1976 **'' Micrurus psyches psyches'' (Daudin, 1803) *''

Micrurus putumayensis ''Micrurus putumayensis'', the Putumayo coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Peru, Brazil, and Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South ...

'' Lancini, 1962 – Putumayo coral snake *''

Micrurus pyrrhocryptus The Argentinian coral snake (''Micrurus pyrrhocryptus'') is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae. It is found in South America, particularly the Dry Chaco The Gran Chaco or simply Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semiarid ...

'' (Cope, 1862) – Argentinian coral snake (

) *''

Micrurus remotus ''Micrurus remotus'', the remote coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South Americ ...

'' Roze, 1987 – Remote coral snake *'' Micrurus renjifoi'' Lamar, 2003 – Renjifo’s coral snake *''

Micrurus ruatanus The Roatán coral snake (''Micrurus ruatanus'') also known as Coral de la Isle de Roatán or Coral Roatanense in Spanish is a critically endangered species of elapid snake, endemic to the island of Roatán off of the coast of Honduras. There are ...

'' (Günther, 1895) –

Roatán Roatán () is an island in the Caribbean, about off the northern coast of Honduras. The largest of the Bay Islands Department, Bay Islands of Honduras, it is located between the islands of Utila and Guanaja. It is approximately long, and le ...

coral snake *'' Micrurus sangilensis'' Nicéforo-María, 1942 – Santander coral snake *'' Micrurus scutiventris'' (Cope, 1869) *'' Micrurus serranus'' (Harvey, Aparicio & Gonzalez, 2003) *''

Micrurus silviae ''Micrurus silviae,'' the ''Silva's coral snake,'' is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of S ...

'' Di-Bernardo, Borges-Martins & Silva, 2007 *'' Micrurus spixii'' (Wagler, 1824) –

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...

coral snake **'' Micrurus spixiii martiusi'' K.P. Schmidt, 1953 **'' Micrurus spixii obscurus'' (Jan 1872) **'' Micrurus spixii princeps'' (Boulenger, 1905) **'' Micrurus spixii spixii'' (Wagler, 1824) *'' Micrurus spurelli'' (Boulenger, 1914) *''

Micrurus steindachneri ''Micrurus steindachneri'', the piedmont coral snake or Steindachner's coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Ecuador and Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South ...

'' (F. Werner, 1901) – Steindachner's coral snake **'' Micrurus steindachneri orcesi'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus steindachneri steindachneri'' (F. Werner, 1901) *'' Micrurus stewarti'' Barbour & Amaral, 1928 - Panamanian coral snake *''

Micrurus stuarti ''Micrurus stuarti'' (Stuart's coral snake) is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Guatemala. There are no recognized subspecies. Etymology The specific name, ''stuarti'', is in honor of American herpe ...

'' Roze, 1967 – Stuart's coral snake *'' Micrurus surinamensis'' (

Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, baron Cuvier (23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier (; ), was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuv ...

, 1817) -

Aquatic coral snake The aquatic coral snake (''Micrurus surinamensis'') is a semiaquatic species of coral snake in the family Elapidae found in northern South America. Common names Known as Cobra coral, Coral de agua, Coral acuatica venezolana (For '' Micrurus na ...

**'' Micrurus surinamensis nattereri'' K.P. Schmidt, 1952 **'' Micrurus surinamensis surinamensis'' (Cuvier, 1817) *''

Micrurus tener ''Micrurus tener'', commonly known as the Texas coral snake, is a species of snake in the family Elapidae. It is native to the southern United States and adjacent northeastern and central Mexico. Six subspecies are recognized as being valid, in ...

'' ( Baird & Girard, 1853) –

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

coral snake (Texas and

south to

Morelos Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...

and

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

) **'' Micrurus tener fitzingeri'' (Jan 1858) **'' Micrurus tener maculatus'' Roze, 1967 **'' Micrurus tener microgalbineus'' B.C. Brown & H.M. Smith, 1942 **'' Micrurus tener tamaulipensis'' Lavin-Murcio & Dixon, 2004 **'' Micrurus tener tener'' (Baird & Girard, 1853) *''

Micrurus tikuna ''Micrurus tikuna'', the Tikuna coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil, Colombia, and possibly Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bor ...

'' Feitosa, Silva, Pires, Zaher & Prudente, 2015 *''

Micrurus tricolor ''Micrurus tricolor'', the Pantanal coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snake is found in Brazil and Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is borde ...

'' *''

Micrurus tschudii ''Micrurus tschudii'', the desert coral snake, is a species of snake of the family Elapidae. The snakes are found in Ecuador and Peru. The species is named in honour of Johann Jakob von Tschudi Johann Jakob von Tschudi (25 July 1818 – 8 O ...

'' (Jan 1858) – desert coral snake **'' Micrurus tschudii olssoni'' K.P. Schmidt & F.J.W. Schmidt, 1925 **'' Micrurus tschudii tschudii'' (Jan 1858)

Mimicry

New World coral snakes serve as models for their Batesian mimics,

false coral snakes False coral may refer to many species of snakes, including: *several species of the genus ''Erythrolamprus'': ** ''Erythrolamprus aesculapii'', a mildly venomous colubrid snake species found in South America. ** ''Erythrolamprus bizona'', a harmle ...

, snake species whose venom is less toxic, as well as for many nonvenomous snake species that bear superficial resemblances to them. The role of coral snakes as models for Batesian mimics is supported by research showing that coral snake color patterns deter predators from attacking snake-shaped prey, and that in the absence of coral snakes, species hypothesized to mimic them are indeed attacked more frequently. Species that appear similar to coral snakes include: *'' Cemophora coccinea'' *'' Chionactis palarostris'' *''

Erythrolamprus aesculapii ''Erythrolamprus aesculapii'', also known commonly as the Aesculapian false coral snake, the South American false coral snake, and in Portuguese as ''bacorá'', or ''falsa-coral'', is a species of mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. ...

'' *''

Erythrolamprus bizona ''Erythrolamprus bizona'', commonly known as the double-banded false coral snake, is a species of colubrid snake, which is found in northern South America and Central America. Classification ''Erythrolamprus bizona'' belongs to the genus ''Er ...

'' *''

Erythrolamprus ocellatus ''Erythrolamprus ocellatus'', commonly known as the Tobago false coral snake, red snake, or doctor snake is a species of Colubridae, colubrid snake, which is Endemism, endemic to the island of Tobago (in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago). Cla ...

'', Tobago false coral snake *''Lampropeltis elapsoides'',

scarlet kingsnake The scarlet kingsnake (''Lampropeltis elapsoides'') is a species of kingsnake found in the southeastern and eastern portions of the United States. Like all kingsnakes, they are venomous snake, nonvenomous. They are found in pine flatwoods, hydric ...

*'' Lampropeltis pyromelana'' *''Lampropeltis triangulum'',

milk snake The milk snake or milksnake (''Lampropeltis triangulum''), is a species of kingsnake; up to 24 subspecies are sometimes recognized. ''Lampropeltis elapsoides'', the scarlet kingsnake, was formerly classified as a 25th subspecies (''L. t. elapso ...

, including the following subspecies and others: **'' Lampropeltis triangulum amaura'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum annulata'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum gaigeae'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum hondurensis'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum multistrata'' **'' Lampropeltis triangulum syspila'' *''

Lampropeltis zonata Zonata was a Swedish power metal band originating from Borås. They formed in 1998 and recorded three albums with label Century Media before calling a split up in 2003. Their lyrics draw heavily on mythology and life struggles. They are known by ...

'' *''

Lystrophis pulcher ''Lystrophis'' is the genus of tricolored South American hognose snakes. They mimic milk snakes or coral snakes with their red, black, and white ringed patterns. Species The genus ''Lystrophis'' contains five species that are recognized as b ...

'', tri-color hognose snake *''

Oxyrhopus petola ''Oxyrhopus petolarius'', commonly known as the forest flame snake, is a species of mildly venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Central and South America. There are three recognized subspecies. Taxonomy and nomenc ...

'' *'' Oxyrhopus rhombifer'', false coral snake *''

Pliocercus elapoides ''Pliocercus elapoides'', also known commonly as the variegated false coral snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern North America and northern Central America. There are four recognized subspecies ...

'', variegated false coral snake *''

Rhinobothryum bovallii ''Rhinobothryum bovallii'', commonly known as the coral mimic snake or the false tree coral, is a species of snake in the Family (biology), family Colubridae. The species is native to Central America and northwestern South America. Etymology The ...

'', coral mimic snake, false tree coral *''

Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus ''Rhinocheilus'' is a genus of snakes, commonly called the long-nosed snakes, in the family Colubridae. The genus is native to the western United States and Mexico. Species and subspecies The genus ''Rhinocheilus'' contains the following specie ...

North American coloration patterns

Behavior

Reproduction

Distribution (U.S.)

Danger to humans

Old World

Genus ''Calliophis''

Genus ''Hemibungarus''

Genus ''Sinomicrurus''

New World

Genus ''Micruroides ''Micruroides'' is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species ''Micruroides euryxanthus''. ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', commonly known as the Sonoran coral snake, western coral sn ...''

Genus ''Micrurus ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *'' Micrurus albicinctus' ...''

Mimicry

References

Further reading

Genus ''
Micruroides ''Micruroides'' is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species ''Micruroides euryxanthus''. ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', commonly known as the Sonoran coral snake, western coral sn ...
''

Genus ''
Micrurus ''Micrurus'' is a genus of venomous coral snakes of the family Elapidae. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Micrurus'' are endemic to the Americas. Species The following 82 species are recognized as being valid. *'' Micrurus albicinctus' ...
''