Regal Coral Snake

About the Regal Coral Snake

Micrurus ancoralis, also known commonly as the anchor coral snake and the regal coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to extreme southeastern Central America and adjacent northwestern South America. There are two recognized subspecies.

Dorsally, Micrurus ancoralis has a red head, followed by a black anchor-shaped marking on the neck. The body color pattern consists of black, white, and red rings. The black rings are in triads enclosing white rings, and the triads are separated by red rings.

The ventrals number 248–266 in males and 271–290 in females. Long and heavy-bodied for its genus, as an adult M. ancoralis is usually 0.90 m (3.0 ft) in total length (tail included), but the maximum recorded total length is 1.486 m (4.88 ft).

Micrurus ancoralis is found in southeastern Panama, western Colombia, and western Ecuador. The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus ancoralis is forest, at elevations from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft), but it has also been found in artificial habitats such as banana plantations.

Micrurus ancoralis is terrestrial and semifossorial... Wikipedia →