Micrurus helleri, also known commonly as Heller's coral snake and the western ribbon coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to South America.[1]
| Micrurus helleri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. helleri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus helleri K. Schmidt & F. Schmidt, 1925
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Etymology edit
The specific name, helleri, is in honor of American zoologist Edmund Heller.[2]
Geographic range edit
M. helleri is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.[1]
Description edit
The color pattern of M. helleri consists of rings (annuli) arranged as follows: wide black rings in triads (groups of three), the black rings separated by narrow white rings, and the triads separated by wide red rings. The holotype has a total length of 64.8 cm (25.5 in), which includes a tail length of 5.2 cm (2.0 in).[1]
Reproduction edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Species Micrurus helleri at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Micrurus lemniscatus helleri, p. 120).
Further reading edit
- Freiberg M (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. ISBN 0-87666-912-7. (Micrurus lemniscatus helleri, pp. 115–116).
- Hurtado-Gómez JP, Ramírez MV, Gómez FJR, Fouquet A, Fritz U (2021). "Multilocus phylogeny clarifies relationships and diversity within the Micrurus lemniscatus complex (Serpentes: Elapidae)". Salamandra 57 (2): 229–239. (Micrurus helleri, re-elevated to species level).
- Roze J (1967). "A Checklist of the New World Venomous Coral Snakes (Elapidae), with Descriptions of New Forms". American Museum Novitates (2287): 1–60. (Micrurus lemniscatus helleri, new combination and new taxonomic status, p. 35).
- Schmidt KP, Schmidt FJW (1925). "New Coral Snakes from Peru". Field Museum of Natural History Zoological Series 12: 129–134. (Micrurus helleri, new species, pp. 129–130).
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