Micrurus mosquitensis
| Micrurus mosquitensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. mosquitensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus mosquitensis Schmidt, 1933 | |
 | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Micrurus mosquitensis, also known commonly as the mosquito coral snake and la coral misquita in Central American Spanish, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central America.[2]
Description
[edit]As in many species of the genus Micrurus, the color pattern of Micrurus mosquitensis consists of black, yellow, and red rings. The black rings are not arranged in triads, and there are 10–15 black rings on the body. The yellow rings are the narrowest, but are wider than in most coral snakes. The red rings are the widest, and have large black tips on the dorsal scales.[3]
Males have 182–192 ventrals and 46–52 subcaudals; females have 197–211 ventrals and 35–43 subcaudals.[3]
Males have strongly developed supraanal tubercles.[2]
Adults usually have a total length of 50–75 cm (20–30 in).[3]
Geographic distribution
[edit]Micrurus mosquitensis is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama.[2]
Habitat
[edit]The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus mosquitensis is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 900 m (3,000 ft).[1]
Behavior
[edit]Micrurus mosquitensis is terrestrial.[1]
Diet
[edit]Micrurus mosquitensis preys on lizards such as Scincella cherriei and Cnemidophorus spp., snakes such as Coniophanes fissidens and Ninia maculata, and also eats lizard eggs.[3]
Reproduction
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Batista, A.; García Rodríguez, A.; Saborío, G.; Vargas Álvarez, J.; Acosta Chaves, V. (2013). "Micrurus mosquitensis ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013 e.T203629A2769235. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T203629A2769235.en. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Species Micrurus mosquitensis at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- 1 2 3 4 Roze, J.A. (1996). Coral Snakes of the Americas: Biology, Identification, and Venoms. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. ISBN 0-89464-847-0. xii + 328 pp., 38 maps, 63 color photographs, 49 color pattern drawings. (Micrurus nigrocinctus mosquitensis, p. 205 + Map 30 + Color 50).
Further reading
[edit]- Porras, L.W.; Solórzano, A. (2006). "Costa Rica's Venomous Snakes". Reptilia (48): 11–17.
- Sasa, M.; Arias, E.; Chaves, G. (2025). "Annotated list of amphibians and reptiles of Costa Rica: the role of the Museum of Zoology in cataloging the country's herpetological diversity". Revista de Biología Tropical. 73 (S2): e64536. (in English, with an abstract in Spanish).
- Savage, J.M. (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-73537-0. xx + 934 pp.
- Schmidt, K.P. (1933). "Preliminary Account of the Coral Snakes of Central America and Mexico". Zoological Series of Field Museum of Natural History. 20 (6): 29–40. (Micrurus nigrocinctus mosquitensis, new subspecies, p. 33).