Micrurus

Feitosa, Darlan Tavares, Jr, Nelson Jorge Da Silva, Pires, Matheus Godoy, Zaher, Hussam & Prudente, Ana Lúcia Da Costa, 2015, A new species of monadal coral snake of the genus Micrurus (Serpentes, Elapidae) from western Amazon, Zootaxa 3974 (4), pp. 538-554 : 548-549

Key to the monadal Micrurus from the Western Amazon

1a. Bicolored pattern (black and white or black and red).......................................................... 2

1b. Tricolor pattern....................................................................................... 6

2ª1 Internasals and supraoculars with white dots, 67 to 81 black rings on body, 6 to 13 on tail.... Micrurus albicinctus ( Fig. 4 A)

2b. Internasals and supraoculars whitout white dots.............................................................. 3

3a. Black rings on body 7–14, black rings on tail 2–3.................................. Micrurus putumayensis ( Fig. 4 E)

3b. Black rings on body 17–83, black rings on tail 3–13.......................................................... 4

4a. Nuchal collar absent, venter tricolored (black, brown, and white)..................... Micrurus margaritiferus ( Fig. 4 C)

4b. Nuchal collar present, venter bicolored..................................................................... 5

5a. Color pattern black and white, post-ocular white or yellow on parietals........... Micrurus annellatus annellatus ( Fig. 4 B)

5b. Color pattern black and red, post-parietal narrow band separating black cephalic-cap from nuchal collar................................................................................................. Micrurus medemi ( Fig. 4 D)

6a. Snout with white scales or white spotted scales.............................................................. 7

6b. Snout uniformly black................................................................................. 11

7a. Nuchal collar absent.................................................................. Micrurus tikuna ( Fig. 1 )

7b. Nuchal collar present................................................................................... 8

8a. Tail tricolor................................................................. Micrurus pacaraimae ( Fig. 7 D)

8b. Tail bicolor.......................................................................................... 9

9a. Venter with black rings replaced by yellow.......................................... Micrurus langsdorffi ( Fig. 7 B)

9b. Venter with black rings fully developed................................................................... 10

10a. Body with 38 to 67 black rings.................................................. Micrurus ornatissimus ( Fig. 7 C)

10b. Body with 20 to 21 black rings....................................................... Micrurus petersi ( Fig. 6 B)

11a. Nuchal collar absent................................................................ Micrurus averyi ( Fig. 6 F)

11b. Nuchal collar present.................................................................................. 12

12a. Body with white rings limited by black accessory rings, dorsally isolated from red rings... Micrurus catamayensis ( Fig. 7 A)

12b. Body with white rings contacting red rings dorsally.......................................................... 13

13a. Black cephalic-cap short, post-ocular white band on parietals separating black cephalic-cap from nuchal collar................................................................................ Micrurus annellatus bolivianus ( Fig. 6 E)

13b. Black cephalic-cap long, covering parietals, narrow post-parietal white band...................................... 14

14a. Black cephalic-cap on parietals bordered by red scales....................................................... 15

14b. Black cephalic cap on parietals bordered by white scales..................................................... 16

15a. Ventral scales 200–210 in males, 227–231 in females.................... Micrurus steindachneri steindachneri ( Fig. 6 A)

15b. Ventral scales 214–215 in males, 224–231 in females.......................... Micrurus steindachneri orcesi ( Fig. 4 F)

16a. Black cephalic-cap contacting nuchal collar................................................................ 17 16b. Black cephalic-cap not contacting nuchal collar............................................................. 18 17ª1 Red rings 4–8 scales long with red-spotted scale; nuchal collar present and connected to cephalic-cap through a black line on

Figures

FIGURE 1. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views of the holotype of Micrurus tikuna (MPEG 18199).

FIGURE 4. General color pattern of body of the Micrurus albicinctus (A—MPEG 18133), M. annellatus annellatus (B—USNM 247525), M. margaritiferus (C—USNM 316649, holotype), M. medemi (D—MSL 1517, paratype), M. putumayensis (E—AMNH 110058, holotype), and M. steindachneri steindachneri (F—AMNH 35820).

FIGURE 6. General color pattern of body of the Micrurus steindachneri orcesi (A—UMMZ 88922, holotype), M. petersi (B—USNM 158295), M. mertensi (C—FMNH 18300, holotype), M. peruvianus (D—MCZ 17385), M. annellatus bolivianus (VRM 18527), and M. averyi (F—FMNH 30956, holotype).

FIGURE 7. General color pattern of body of the M. catamayensis (A—BMNH 1935.11. 3.103, holotype), M. langsdorffi (B—IAvH 4385), M. ornatissimus (C—BMNH 80.12.8.134), M. pacaraimae (D—MZUSP 8565, holotype), M. paraensis (E—MPEG 851, holotype), and M. remotus (F—USNM 266100, holotype).