Biology:Micrurus helleri

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Short description: Species of snake

Micrurus helleri
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Micrurus
Species:
M. helleri
Binomial name
Micrurus helleri
K. Schmidt & F. Schmidt, 1925
Synonyms[1]
  • Micrurus helleri
    K. Schmidt & F. Schmidt
  • Micrurus lemniscatus helleri
    — Roze, 1967
  • Micrurus helleri
    — Hurtado-Gómez et al., 2021

Micrurus helleri, also known commonly as Heller's coral snake and the western ribbon coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to South America.[1]

Etymology

The specific name, helleri, is in honor of American zoologist Edmund Heller.[2]

Geographic range

M. helleri is found in Bolivia, Brazil , Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.[1]

Description

The color pattern of M. helleri consists of rings (annuli) arranged as follows: wide black rings in triads (groups of three), the black rings separated by narrow white rings, and the triads separated by wide red rings. The holotype has a total length of 64.8 cm (25.5 in), which includes a tail length of 5.2 cm (2.0 in).[1]

Reproduction

M. helleri is oviparous.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Species Micrurus helleri at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  2. Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN:978-1-4214-0135-5. (Micrurus lemniscatus helleri, p. 120).

Further reading

  • Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. ISBN:0-87666-912-7. (Micrurus lemniscatus helleri, pp. 115–116).
  • Hurtado-Gómez JP, Ramírez MV, Gómez FJR, Fouquet A, Fritz U (2021). "Multilocus phylogeny clarifies relationships and diversity within the Micrurus lemniscatus complex (Serpentes: Elapidae)". Salamandra 57 (2): 229–239. (Micrurus helleri, re-elevated to species level).
  • Roze J (1967). "A Checklist of the New World Venomous Coral Snakes (Elapidae), with Descriptions of New Forms". American Museum Novitates (2287): 1–60. (Micrurus lemniscatus helleri, new combination and new taxonomic status, p. 35).
  • Schmidt KP, Schmidt FJW (1925). "New Coral Snakes from Peru". Field Museum of Natural History Zoological Series 12: 129–134. (Micrurus helleri, new species, pp. 129–130).

Wikidata ☰ Q121785839 entry