The 5 major coloration forms in coral snake

Hi everobody, I want to give you some information about coral snake coloration. Many people don’t know that there is more than 2 coloration types in the genera Micrurus.

I don’t have copyrights so I’m giving you only the links to see pictures

1- The single banded coral snakes

1-1 When you hear about ;’’- Red touch yellow, kill the follow, Red touch black venom lack (or something like this) you have a single banded. The sequence of bands is : b-y-r-y-b. Most species from northern central America, Mexico and USA has this kind of coloration, but are usually a litlle bit different from south American single banded in having a complete yellow ring on head. Most South American have what we call a black head cap ; that mean that the black snout coloration extend to the parietal and depending of species, can touch or is fused with the black nuchal band .
1-2 In some south American species, you can have a saturation of black pigment in the red bands, so the coral snake seem to be bicolored but in fact, it is not. Usually, you have to look the belly to discover that your snake is a single banded (exemple of this type : Micrurus psyches group, margaritiferus, steindachneri). In Campbell and Lamar venomous reptiles of western hemisphere, you can see both Micrurus diastema and Micrurus hippocrepis with very few or no black bands on body.


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1090/1292559234_29ebfcf008.jpg?v=0

Above : A typical single banded Micrurus distans

http://www.afpmb.org/pubs/living_hazards/M1MARGAR.jpg

Above : Micrurus margaritiferus, a specie with a saturation of black pigment in the red band who give the impression the snake is bicolored

http://www.snakesofcolombia.com/imagesinv/1/i146.jpg

Above : look at the head coloration of this Micrurus remotus ; the black snout coloration extend to the parietals and touch the black nuchal band ; this is typical of most South American single banded

2- The single banded coral snake with accessory triads

Very few species have this caracteristic ; 2 subspecies of Micrurus dumerilii (if I remember cause I don’t have paper with me, dumerilii and colombianus). Micrurus bocourti, catamayensis and sangilensis have this typical coloration. Finally, in Micrurus circinalis, you have both single banded form and triads form. The accessory triads consist in having black pigment saturation near the yellow band, giving dorsally an impression of triads (small black-yellow-large black-yellow-small black). But ventrally, you don’t find the triad, only the original coloration of a single banded.

http://www.snakesofcolombia.com/imagesinv/1/i148.jpg

Above : Micrurus sangilensis, an ‘’ accessory triads coral snake’’. Note the very small outer black bands.

3- The typical triads

This kind of coral snake is easily distinguish from other in having this banding sequence : r-b-y-b-y-b-r. Most species come from South American country or in extreme southern Panama, you have only 2 species found in northern range of genera Micrurus (Micrurus laticollaris in Mexico and Micrurus elegans in Mexico and adjacent Guatemala). Most species can be distinguish by 1 or many of the following character : number of triads, lenght of white band and|or black (middle black lenght can be different from outer ones), coloration of head (ex : snout color, yellow or red parietal band lenght and|or disposition) and or disposition of the first triad.

http://big-snake.narod.ru/enc/Reptilia/Serpentes/Elapidae/Micrurus/Micrurus_frontalis_frontalis02.jpg

Above : Typical and well known coral snake, Micrurus frontalis

http://www.snakesofcolombia.com/imagesinv/1/i231.jpg

Above : With Micrurus surinamensis, Micrurus ancoralis is the only coral snake with the entire head red

4- The bicolored coral snakes

Very easy to differentiate ; only 2 color exept in some species that can have a third color, but usually not proeminent in the overall coloration (ex : Micrurus mipartitus or Micrurus camilae, Micrurus bernadi too). Most true bicolored coral snakes has the following pattern : Red or sometimes pinkish or white with numerous black bands. In Micrurus limbatus (former subspcies spilosomus), the black bands are replace by black, usually oval, blotch on back. An other interresting fact is found in Micrurus annellatus ; you can find both single banded form and bicolored form ; Micrurus annellatus bolivianus is usually tricolored with longer red bands and saturation of black pigment. The bicolored form of Micrurus annellatus annellatus is usually black with thin white or bluish bands while Micrurus annellatus balzani has the same coloration exept that the thin white or bluish bands are replace by orange or red ones. Finally in Campbell and Lamar Venomous reptiles of western hemisphere, you can see Micrurus diastema (Variable coral snake, it’s not for nothing they gave this name ) both bicolored and tricolored forms.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_wTGhLyFU2IU/Rx-nHA_dnBI/AAAAAAAAAEU/RTmGIQlRntI/Micrurus+mipartitus-Ibagué-16-XI-2006+(16).JPG

Above : Micrurus mipartitus, a pratically all bicolored coral snake exept for the parietal band and tail.

http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_fauna_sci-Reptile&enlarge=0000+0000+0607+0059
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=photos_fauna_sci-Reptile&enlarge=0000+0000+0407+1238

Above : Both red and white bands variation in Micrurus multifasciatus

http://www.snakesofcolombia.com/imagesinv/1/i123.jpg

Above : Finally, the bicolored form of Micrurus annellatus annellatus

5- The black-backed coral snakes (former Leptomicrurus)
(species collaris, narduccii, renjifoi and scutiventris)

4 species are currently recognize in the former Leptomicrurus group, but only 3 are black-backed (Micrurus renjifoi is bicolored with yellow and black bands). Usually, the belly is bicolored but the light bands don’t extend on back exept on tail ; but in some cases (I never saw pictures) especially in juvenile, the light band can circle the body, especially in the neck region. This group is found only in the norther part of South America.

http://www.projectamazonas.com/subpages/floraandfauna/florafaunagalleries/reptiles-coral%20snakes%20gallery.htm

Above : here you can find a true black backed, Micrurus scutiventris

http://www.ots.ac.cr/tropiweb/attachments/volumes/vol51-3-4/23-LAMAR-A%20new%E2%80%A6Coralsnake.pdf

Above : here is the entire document about Micrurus renjifoi with text and photos

In conclusion, as you can see, the coloration found in the 81 reported species of Micrurus is more complex that some people think and according to me, this complexity place coral snakes among my favorite kind of snakes
Cheers
Patrice