Saddled coral snake
Blotched coral snake
Coralillo ensillado
M. bernadi reaches a maximum size of 83 cm. Roze (1996) describes the species as:
"The head is black except for a yellow or white parietal spot or a narrow band. Ventrally, the black extends onto the first ventrals, with occasional white spots on some shields. Both dorsally and ventrally the black nuchal band is fused with the black head coloration. The black dorsal spots or saddlelike bands on the red background color are usually 2 dorsals long. Rarely, a few bands may be complete ventrally but these are interrupted dorsally. The red spaces between the black spots are longer than the spots; they are immaculate or have a few irregularly-placed black tips. Ventrally, the red scales are immaculate or have small black dots. Usually there are no yellow bands around the black spots, but rarely there may be an inconspicuous yellow border. On the tail, the black bands may be complete or incomplete ventrally; they are longer than the yellow bands."
There are 198 to 225 ventral scales and 34 to 48 subcaudal scales (Roze, 1996).
M. bernadi is known to prey on Pliocerus elapoides, a false coral snake (Roze, 1996).
Reported from only three localities in Mexico, northern Veracruz, eastern Hidalgo, and northern Puebla (Roze, 1996).
Low humid montane and cloud montane forests from 50 to almost 2000 m (Roze, 1996).
Holotype: ANSP 14767, according to Malnate, 1971, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 123:345-375[363].
Type-locality: Zacualtipan [Hidalgo, Mexico].
