The Oaxacan coral snake (Micrurus ephippifer), also known commonly as the double black coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Mexico. There are two recognized subspecies.
Local common names Local common names in Mexican Spanish for Micrurus ephippifer include coralillo doble negro and serpiente-coralillo oaxaqueña.
Geographic distribution and habitat Micrurus ephippifer occurs in tropical deciduous forest and pine-oak forest from near sea level to over on the Pacific versant of the Mexican state of Oaxaca, from central Oaxaca to the lowlands and foothills of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Behavior Micrurus ephippifer is terrestrial.
Reproduction Micrurus ephippifer is oviparous. www.reptile-database.org.
Subspecies Two subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Micrurus ephippifer ephippifer (Cope, 1886) Micrurus ephippifer zapotectus Roze, 1989
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Micrurus.
References
Further reading
(Elaps ephippifer, new species, p. 281). (Micrurus ephippifer zapotecus, new subspecies, pp. 11–14, Figures 6–7, Map 1). xii + 328 pp., 38 maps, 63 color photographs, 49 color pattern drawings. (Micrurus ephippifer, pp. 169–170, Figure 57 + Map 17 + Color 21).