الأسماء في صفحات التنقل
Anchor coral snake
Regal coral snake
Coral ancla
One of the largest coral snakes, M. ancoralis can reach a maximum size of 149 cm, averaging 90 cm or more. The dorsal and ventral pattern consists of black, red and white bands. The black and red bands are usually 4 to 6 dorsal (3 to 4 ventral) scales thick. The white bands are 1 dorsal (2 ventral) scale thick, preceded and followed by one or two rows of white and black scales. The top of the head is red with some black spots. The chin and neck are light red. An anchor-shaped black marking is formed by the nuchal band projecting forward onto the parietals (Roze, 1996).
There are 242 to 286 ventral scales and 28 to 37 subcaudal scales (Roze, 1996).
Will feed on small snakes, known to consume Ninia atrata (Roze, 1996).
Pacific lowlands of eastern Panama and western Colombia southward to southern Ecuador.
Tropical rainforests and low mountain wet forests of the Pacific lowlands and western slopes of the Andes in northwestern and western Ecuador, extending southward to Bahia de Caraquez between sea level and 1000 m. Populations recognized as subspecies M. a. jani occur in tropical rain forests and humid low montane forests from Darién, Panama, to the Pacific lowlands of the Chocó region and the western slopes of the Andes of Columbia, between sea level and 1000 m, sometimes higher (Roze, 1996).
M. ancoralis can be easily distinguished by its characteristic anchor-shaped neck mark.
Holotype: destroyed, formerly Zoologisch Staatssammlung Munchen according to Golay et al. (1993).
Type-locality: Ecuador
Roze (1996) recognizes two subspecies, M. a. ancoralis and M. a. jani.
