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| Micrurus boicora
Bernarde, Turci, Abegg & Franco, 2018
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Abstract
A new species of elapid snake of the genus Micrurus is described herein, from the states of Rondônia and Mato Grosso, in the western Brazilian Amazon. The new species has a single anal plate, a unique characteristic shared with members of the M. hemprichii species group. It can be distinguished from the other members of this group by having a parietal reddish band in juveniles (absent in adults) and the absence of brownish or orange-yellow dorsal body bands. In addition, this species is distinguished from M. hemprichii by its lower number of body triads, and from M. ortoni by its lower numbers of ventrals and subcaudals scales.
Key words: Squamata, Serpentes, Elapidae, Amazon rainforest, colour pattern, external morphology, Neotropical region.
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| Body dorsum (A) and venter (B) of Micrurus boicora sp. n. (IBSP 77.772, paratype) from the municipality of Cacoal, Rondônia, Brazil. |
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| Figure 4. Photographs of live individuals in the Micrurus hemprichii group. Body dorsum (A) and venter (B) of Micrurus boicora sp. n. (IBSP 77.772, paratype) from the municipality of Cacoal, Rondônia, Brazil; body dorsum (C) of Micrurus hemprichii (unvouchered, photographed by M. A. Passos) from the municipality of Itaituba, Pará, Brazil; body dorsum (D) of Micrurus ortoni (the “rondonianus” form, unvouchered) from the municipality of Cacoal, Rondônia, Brazil. |
Micrurus boicora sp. n.
Micrurus hemprichii nec (Jan, 1858) – Bernarde & Abe, 2006
Micrurus hemprichii nec (Jan, 1858) – Turci & Bernarde, 2008
Micrurus sp. nov. – Bernarde et al. 2012
Diagnosis and comparisons: Micrurus boicora can be distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: cloacal plate single; narrow parietal reddish band in juveniles present (absent in adults); body triads 5; brownish or orange-yellow dorsal body bands absent; white body rings equidistantly arranged, more than 11 ventral scales apart; red gular region; with red spots on belly triads; ventrals 155–166; subcaudals 19–23.
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Etymology: The specific epithet boicora is a Tupi-Guarani
name (mbóî = snake; corá = coral), employed herein
as a noun in apposition alluding to the coral coloration of
the new species. Many Amerindians and peasants in Brazil
collectively name true coralsnakes and their mimics as
“Boicorá”.
Paulo Sérgio Bernarde, Luiz Carlos Batista Turci, Arthur Diesel Abegg and Francisco Luís Franco. 2018. A Remarkable New Species of Coralsnake of the Micrurus hemprichii species group from the Brazilian Amazon. SALAMANDRA. 54(4); 249-258.
Resumo: Uma nova espécie de serpente elapídea do gênero Micrurus é descrita aqui, proveniente dos estados de Rondônia
e Mato Grosso, no oeste da Amazônia Brasileira. A nova espécie possui placa anal simples, uma característica unicamente
compartilhada entre os membros do grupo de espécies M. hemprichii. Ela é diagnosticável dos outros membros desse
grupo por possuir banda parietal avermelhada em juvenis (ausente em adultos) e ausência de bandas dorsais corporais
amareladas ou laranjas. Além disso, essa espécie distingue-se de M. hemprichii pelo menor número de tríades corporais, e
de M. ortoni pelo menor número de escamas ventrais e subcaudais.
Palavras-chave. Squamata, Serpentes, Elapidae, Floresta Amazônica, padrão de coloração, morfologia externa, Região
Neotropical.
