Micrurus multiscutatus, also known commonly as the Cauca coral snake and la coral caucana in South American Spanish, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to nothwestern South America. www.reptile-database.org.
Description Micrurus multiscutatus has a very high number of ventral scales, to which the specific name refers. Females may have as many as 325 ventrals, males as many as 295. xii + 328 pp., 38 maps, 63 color photographs, 49 color pattern drawings. (Micrurus multiscutatus, pp. 200–201 + Map 28 + Color 47).
M. multiscutatus is bicolored, its pattern consisting of alternating black and red rings. The rings are approximately equal in width. The red rings may be orangish and include some black-tipped dorsal scales.
Medium-sized for its genus, the holotype has a total length (tail included) of .
Geographic distribution Micrurus multiscutatus is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
Habitat The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus multiscutatus is forest, at elevations of .
Behavior Micrurus multiscutatus is terrestrial and fossorial, foraging underground and in leaf litter.
Diet Micrurus multifasciatus has been observed to prey upon caecilians. (in English and Spanish).
Reproduction Micrurus multiscutatus is oviparous.
References
Further reading
396 pp. (Micrurus multiscutatus, pp. 104–105). (in Spanish). iv + 430 pp., 568 figures, 109 distribution maps, 31 tables. (Micrurus multiscutatus, new species, p. 9).