Micrurus steindachneri

Micrurus steindachneri
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. steindachneri
Binomial name
Micrurus steindachneri (F. Werner, 1901)
Synonyms [2]
Elaps steindachneri F. Werner, 1901 Elaps fasslii F. Werner, 1927

Micrurus steindachneri, also known commonly as the piedmont coral snake and Steindachner's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to northwestern South America. There are two recognized subspecies. ^[2]

Geographic distribution

Micrurus steindachneri is found on the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador and extreme northern Peru. ^{[1] [2]}

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus steindachneri is forest, at elevations of 500–2,000 m (1,600–6,600 ft). ^[1]

Behavior

Micrurus steindachneri is terrestrial, fossorial, and diurnal. ^[1]

Reproduction

Micrurus steindachneri is oviparous. ^[2]

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. ^[2]

• Micrurus steindachneri orcesi Roze, 1967
• Micrurus steindachneri steindachneri(F. Werner, 1901)

Etymology

The specific name, steindachneri, is in honor of Viennese herpetologist Franz Steindachner. ^{[3] : 252}

The subspecific name, orcesi, is in honor of Ecuadorian herpetologist Gustavo Orcés. ^{[3] : 195}

References

1. Valencia, J.; Sánchez, J. (2017). "Micrurus steindachneri ". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017 e.T50951888A50951937. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T50951888A50951937.en . Retrieved 28 August 2023.
2. "Micrurus steindachneri ". 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

• Roze, J.A. (1967). "A Check List of the New World Venomous Coral Snakes (Elapidae), with Descriptions of New Forms". American Museum Novitates (2287): 1–60. (Micrurus steindachneri orcesi, new subspecies, pp. 43–45, Figure 15).
• Torres-Carvajal, O.; Pazmiño-Otamendi, G.; Salazar-Valenzuela, D. (2019). "Reptiles of Ecuador: a resource-rich online portal, with dynamic checklists and photographic guides". Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. 13 (1): 209–219 (e178).
• Werner, F. (1901). "Ueber Reptilien und Batrachier aus Ecuador und Neu-Guinea". Verhandlungen der kaiserlich-königlichen zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien. 51: 593–614. (Elaps steindachneri, new species, p. 599). (in German).
• Werner, F. (1927). "Neue oder wenig bekannte Schlangen aus dem Wiener naturhistorischen staatsmuseum (III. Teil)". Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien. 143: 243–257. (Elaps fasslii, new species, pp. 249–250). (in German).