Costa Rican Coral Snake
Costa Rican Coral SnakeCosta Rican Coral SnakeCosta Rican Coral SnakeCosta Rican Coral Snake

Costa Rican Coral Snake

Micrurus mosquitensis

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Tenorio Volcano National Park
11 Verified sightings at Tenorio Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026
100 Verified sightings across all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

About the Costa Rican Coral Snake

Micrurus mosquitensis, also known commonly as the mosquito coral snake and la coral misquita in Central American Spanish, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central America. As in many species of the genus Micrurus, the color pattern of Micrurus mosquitensis consists of black, yellow, and red rings. The black rings are not arranged in triads, and there are 10–15 black rings on the body. The yellow rings are the narrowest, but are wider than in most coral snakes. The red rings are the widest, and have large black tips on the dorsal scales.

Males have 182–192 ventrals and 46–52 subcaudals; females have 197–211 ventrals and 35–43 subcaudals. Males have strongly developed supraanal tubercles. Adults usually have a total length of 50–75 cm (20–30 in). Micrurus mosquitensis is found in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus mosquitensis is forest, at altitudes from sea level to 900 m (3,000 ft). Micrurus mosquitensis is terrestrial.

Micrurus mosquitensis preys on lizards such as Scincella cherriei and Cnemidophorus spp.... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
2 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
3 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
4 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
6 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
7 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
8 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
9 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Costa Rican Coral Snake in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Costa Rican Coral Snake sighting in Tenorio Volcano National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Costa Rican Coral Snake in Tenorio Volcano National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for Costa Rican Coral Snake in Tenorio Volcano National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Tenorio Volcano National Park