Roatan coral snake
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Roatán coral snake (Micrurus ruatanus), also known commonly as coral de la Isla de Roatán or coral roatanense in Spanish, and babaspul in the local dialect, is a critically endangered species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to the island of Roatán, one of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras.[1] There are no subspecies that are recognized as being valid.[3]
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| Roatan coral snake | |
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. ruatanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus ruatanus (Günther, 1895) | |
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| Synonyms[1][2] | |
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Description
Micrurus ruatanus is a bicolored New World coral snake. Its color pattern consists of alternating wide and narrow black rings, which are separated by red rings. The wide black rings are 3 dorsal scales wide, and the narrow black rings are 1–2 dorsals wide.[4]
Sexual dimorphism exists in both coloration and scalation. Males have 33–39 black rings on the body, and females have 41–45. Males have 178–188 ventrals and 46–48 subcaudals, and females have 193–203 ventrals and 34–38 subcaudals.[4]
Medium-sized for the genus Micrurus, adults usually have a total length (tail included) of 45–60 cm (18–24 in). The maximum recorded total length is 68 cm (27 in).[4]
Habitat
Behavior
Micrurus ruatanus is terrestrial and semi-fossorial.[1]
Diet
Micrurus ruatanus is known to prey on the lizard Cnemidophorus ruatanus.[4]
