Soufh America and the West Indies 



GENERIC AND SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Lepfomicrurus Schmidt, 1937. 

 Slender coral snakes. 



Two species are recognized* ; both are found in north- 

 ern South America. These extremely elongate and 

 slender snakes approach 3 feet in length. There are no 

 reiKjrted bites but they are considered potentially dan- 

 gerous. 



Dcfliiilidii: Head small, not distinct from neck: snout 

 rounded, no distinct canthus. Body extremely slender 

 and elongate, not tapered ; tail .short. 



Eyes small ; pupils round. 



Head scales : The usual 9 on the crown. Laterally, 

 nasal iu contact with single preocular. Ventrally. men- 

 tal In contact with anterior chin .shields. 



Body scales : Dorsals smooth, in 15 nonohlique rows 

 throughout body. Ventrals 212-410: anal plate divided: 

 sul)caudals paired, 17-3."). 



Maxillary teeth: Two relatively large tubular fangs; 

 MO other teeth on bone. 



Rriniirkx: These snakes differ from Micrunm and 

 ^ticl•llr(lillr.■< in that the yellow crossbands are incom- 

 plete dorsally ; they are best defined on the ventral 

 surface and appear as triangles on the sides. The 

 contact of mental and anterior chin shields also is 

 distinctive. 



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Map 4. — Section 3, South America and the West Indie^ 



* A third has been described recently. 



Amazon Slender Coral Snake, Leptomicrurus nar- 

 ducci (Jan). 



Identification: A very elongate black coral snake 

 with a broad yellow band on the back of the head. 

 Adults average 24 to .30 inches : occasional individuals 

 approach 3 feet. 



Belly pattern of red ( or yellow ) and black cross- 

 bands, some of the red bands extending onto the sides 

 as triangular blotches. Dorsal part of body solid black. 



Ventrals 240-410 ; subcaudals 17-3.'>. 



Distribution: The upper Amazon region, including 

 northwestern Brazil, eastern Ecuador, Peru, and Bo- 

 livia. 



Rcniarkf:: The snakes of this genus are the only 

 coral snakes in which the light rings are incomplete 

 dorsally. The other species. L. collaris (Schlegel), dif- 

 fers in having fewer ventrals (212-230). 



Almost nothing is known of the.se rare snakes. How- 

 ever, they attain a size that makes them a dangerous 

 animal to pick up. No antivenin is i)roduced for the 

 snakes of this genus. 



ELAPIDAE: Genus Micrurus Wagler, 1824. 

 American cortil snakes. 



About 40 si>ecies are currently recognized. They 

 range from North Carolina to Texas, and from Coa- 

 huila and Sonora. Mexico, southward through Central 

 and South America to Bolivia and Argentina. Most are 

 small species but some attain lengths in excess of 4 

 feet. All are dangerous. 



Definition: Head small, not distinct from neck; 

 snout rounded, no distinct canthus. Body elongate, 

 slender, not tapered : tail short. 



Eyes small ; jnipils round. 



Head scales: The usual !> lui the crown. Laterally, 

 nasal in contact with single preocular. Ventrally, men- 

 tal .separated from anterior chin shields by first infrala- 

 bials. 



Body scales: Dorsals smooth, in l.'i nonobliiiue rows 

 throughout body. Ventrals 177—112: anal plate divided 

 or entire: subcaudals Ki ()2, usually paired but more 

 than ."lO percent single in some species. 



Maxillary teeth: Two relatively large tubular fangs 

 with indistinct grooves: no other teeth on bone. 



Remarks: Nearly all coral snakes have color patterns 

 made up of complete rings of yellow (or white), black, 

 and usually red. 



Annellated Coral Snake, Micr\irus annelJatus 

 (Peters). 



Identification: A usually black and yellow coral 

 snake with a narrow yellow band across the parietal 

 scutes. This is a small species, the largest specimen 

 is a little less than .30 inches. 



Body with narrow yellow bands. Broad bands which 

 are distinctly red in young become so darkened as to be 

 black in most adults. This forms a pattern of alternat- 

 ing broad black (originally red) rings with narrower 



63 



