Micrurus mertensi

Micrurus mertensi
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Elapidae
Genus:	Micrurus
Species:	M. mertensi
Binomial name
Micrurus mertensi Schmidt, 1936

Micrurus mertensi, also known commonly as Mertens's coral snake and the Peruvian desert coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. ^[2] The species is native to northwestern South America.

Etymology

The specific name, mertensi, is in honor of German herpetologist Robert Mertens. ^{[3] : 176}

Geographic distribution

Micrurus mertensi is found in Ecuador and Peru. ^[2]

Habitat

Micrurus mertensi is found in a variety of habitats, including forest, shrubland, and desert, at elevations from near sea level to 2,400 m (7,900 ft), usually near a river or stream. ^[1]

Reproduction

Micrurus mertensi, is oviparous. ^[2]

References

1. Lehr, E.; Cisneros-Heredia, D.F.; Valencia, J. (2021). "Micrurus mertensi ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2021: e.T50951816A50951836. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T50951816A50951836.en . Retrieved 25 August 2023.
2. "Micrurus mertensi ". The Reptile Database. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
3. Beolens, B.; Watkins, M.; Grayson, M. (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. xiii + 296. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5.

Further reading

• Schmidt, K.P. (1936). "Preliminary Account of Coral Snakes of South America". Zoological Series of Field Museum of Natural History. 20 (19): 189–203. (Micrurus mertensi, new species, pp. 192–193).