Diversity, natural history, and geographic distribution of snakes in the Caatinga, Northeastern Brazil
Author
Guedes, Thaís B.
Author
Nogueira, Cristiano
Author
Marques, Otavio A. V.
text
Zootaxa
2014
3863
1
1
93
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3863.1.1
994b97ae-8a03-4726-86f7-ce51e39578a4
1175-5326
287111
A683CABE-4305-47A4-A063-03FDF93182C0
Micrurus
sp. (
Merrem, 1820
) “Cobra-de-coral, Coral-da-legítima”
(Figs. 11.2 and 23.4)
Caatinga endemic species. It was recorded in all states in the Caatinga, being the most abundant and widespread coral snake in this region. It was called
Micrurus ibiboboca
by
Vanzolini
et al
. (1980)
, but they raise the possibility that specimens collected in the semi-arid Caatinga belong to an undescribed new species. It does not fit the original description proposed by
Merrem (1820)
. It is distributed in all phytophysiognomies described for the Caatinga in this work, from sea level to
800 m
elevation. It has fossorial habits, is nocturnal and diurnal, and feeds mostly on elongated vertebrates (
Vanzolini
et al
. 1980
;
Vitt & Vangilder 1983
;
Argôlo 2004
).