Micrurus decoratus (Jan 1858)

Continent: South-America
Distribution: E Brazil (from Sao Paulo, S Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro south to Santa Catarina and NE Rio Grande do Sul)
Type locality: see comment

Brazilian coral snake

Cobra Coral Decorada

These snakes reach a maximum size of about 64 cm, the average size is between 43 to 60 cm. The snout is black and followed by a yellow postfrontal band. Another black band covers the anterior part of the parietals. A red parietal band extends back to the first dorsal scales. The mental and first 3 to 4 infralabials of the chin are partially or completely black. The rest of the chin is red, followed by a yellow band. The first triad of bands is incomplete and irregularly shaped. The triads consist of a central black band, bordered by two yellow bands and two very wide red bands. The black bands of the regular triads are 3 to 5 dorsals wide. The yellow bands are 1 to 2 dorsals wide. The red bands are black tipped. Ventrally, the black bands are reduced and irregular (Roze, 1996).

There are 195 to 218 ventral scales, and 16 to 22 subcaudal scales (Roze,1996).

Southern Brazil, from the states of So Paulo, southern Minas Gerais, and Rio de Janeiro, south to Santa Catarina and northeastern Rio Grande do Sul.

Holotype: Lost in Museo civico di Storia naturale di Milano according to Roze, 1996, Coral Snakes of the Americas: 328pp.[151]. Destroyed according to Golay et al. 1993.

Type-locality: Mexico [in error]; restricted to Serra da Bocaina, So Paulo, Brazil, by Hoge and Romano, 1973 [dated 1972], Mem. Inst. Butantan 36:109-207[122].

The Brazilian coral snake (Micrurus decoratus) is a species of coral snake in the family Elapidae.