Painted Coralsnake

The painted coral snake is a medium-sized tri-colored snake which can grow to a total length (tail included) of 98 cm (39 in), but most are closer to 65–85 cm (26–33 in). It is a snake with nocturnal habits found on the coastlines, in leaf litter, and under logs and stones. Its diet is based on caecilians, amphisbaenids, lizards (including gymnophthalmids), other snakes (including colubrids). The head color is black with a white or yellow band on the posterior portion of the parietals. This band narrows strongly mid-dorsally. The body has wide red rings that are separated by a series of 15–27 (usually 17–21) narrower black rings with white borders. The tail has 3–8 alternating black and yellow rings. It has a slim body, with a moderately short tail in males, and a very short tail in females. The head is round, small, and little distinct from the neck. The eyes are slightly small, with round pupils. It has smooth and shiny dorsal scales, without apical pits. The supra-anal keels are absent in males.

In South America Micrurus corallinus is found in Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia, Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo), northeastern Argentina (Misiones), and Paraguay. It is mainly found in the Amazon basin in tropical deciduous and evergreen forest at elevations ranging from sea level to 500 m (1,600 ft).