''Micruroides'' is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species ''Micruroides euryxanthus''. ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', commonly known as the Sonoran coral snake, Western Coral Snake or the Arizona coral snake, is endemic to northwestern Mexico and the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

Description

Adults of ''M. euryxanthus'' are long. The color pattern consists of broad, alternating rings of red and black, separated by narrower rings of white or yellow. Markings become paler as they reach the belly. The head is black,Reptiles and Amphibians of Arizona. www.reptilesofaz.org/Snakes-Subpages/h-m-euryxanthus.html. the black extending to the posterior border of the parietals. The smooth dorsal scales are arranged in 15 rows at midbody. The

ventrals In snakes, the ventral scales or gastrosteges are the enlarged and transversely elongated scales that extend down the underside of the body from the neck to the anal scale. When counting them, the first is the anteriormost ventral scale that cont ...

number 214–241. The anal plate is divided. The subcaudals number 21–34, and are divided (paired).Hobart Muir Smith, Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). ''Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification''. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. (paperback). ("Elapidsfamily Elapidae" and ''"Micruroides euryxanthus"'', pp. 196–197). ''Micruroides euryxanthus'' resembles ''Micrurus fulvius''. However, the white or yellow rings are broader than in ''M. fulvius'', and there are fewer black rings on the tail, usually only 2. Also, the first ring on the body (the first ring behind the white or yellow ring on the back of the head) is red, whereas in ''Micrurus fulvius'' it is black.

Venom

The venom of ''M. euryxanthus'' is neurotoxic and extremely potent, but no fatalities have been reported.

Habitat

''M. euryxanthus'' is found in arid and semiarid regions in numerous habitats, both on plains and on lower mountain slopes, from sea level to . In Arizona it is abundant in rocky upland desert.

Behavior

The Sonoran coral snake usually stays underground and comes out at night, but can also appear during and after rains.

Defense

When startled, frightened, or threatened, ''M. euryxanthus'' will hide its head under its body and raise and tightly curl its tail. While in this posture, it will "fart": snakes do not have an anal cavity in the sense that humans and most mammals do, but rather a tract that allows for both disposal of waste and for laying of eggs in females. Instead, it will forcibly and noisily emit gas from its cloaca, a behavior known as "cloacal popping", and predictably this phenomenon has a very unpleasant smell.

Diet

The Arizona coral snake Predation, preys upon small snakes, predominantly ''Rena (snake)'', but also ''Sonora (snake), Sonora'', and ''Tantilla''.Hubbs B, O'Connor B (2012). ''A Guide to the Rattlesnakes and other Venomous Serpents of the United States''. Tempe, Arizona: Tricolor Books. 129 pp. (paperback). (''Micruroides euryxanthus euryxanthus'', pp. 86-87, 122). It will also eat small lizards such as skinks.

Reproduction

Like all other species of New World coral snakes (Genus, genera ''Leptomicrurus'' and ''Micrurus''), ''Micruroides euryxanthus'' is oviparous. Adult females may lay up to 3 Egg (biology), eggs, and each hatchlings is in total length.

Geographic range

''Micruroides euryxanthus'' is found from central Arizona and southwestern New Mexico to Mazatlán in southern Sinaloa. Isolated populations are also found in the Chocolate Mountains (Arizona), Chocolate Mountains, La Paz County, Arizona, La Paz County, western Arizona and on Tiburón Island in the Gulf of California.Robert C. Stebbins, Stebbins RC (2003). ''A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition''. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. 533 pp. (paperback). (''Micruroides euryxanthus'', pp. 405–496 + Plate 44 + Map 181).

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies."''Micruroides euryxanthus'' ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov. *''Micruroides euryxanthus australis'' *''Micruroides euryxanthus euryxanthus'' *''Micruroides euryxanthus neglectus'' ''Nota bene'': A Trinomen, trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than ''Micruroides''.

References

*John L. Behler, Behler JL, King FW (1979). ''The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp., 657 color plates. . (''Micruroides euryxanthus'', pp. 680–681 + Plate 616). *Robert Kennicott, Kennicott R (1860). "Descriptions of New Species of North American Serpents in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington". ''Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia'' 12: 328–338. (''Elaps euryxanthus'', new species, pp. 337–338). *Janis Roze, Roze JA (1974). "''Micruroides, M. euryxanthus'' ". ''Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles'' (163): 1–4. (''Micruroides euryxanthus neglectus''). *Albert Hazen WWright AH, Wright AA (1957). ''Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada''. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Family Elapidae, p. 885; Genus ''Micruroides'', pp. 885–886; ''Micruroides euryxanthus'', pp. 886–890, Figures 253–255 + Map 63 on p. 891). *Richard G. Zweifel, Zweifel RG, Kenneth Stafford Norris, Norris KS (1955). "Contributions to the herpetology of Sonora, Mexico: Descriptions of new subspecies of snakes (''Micruroides euryxanthus'' and ''Lampropeltis getulus'') and miscellaneous collecting notes". ''Amer. Midland Naturalist'' 54: 230–249. (''Micruroides euryxanthus australis'', new subspecies, p. 238.) {{Taxonbar, from=Q167912 Elapidae Monotypic snake genera Taxa named by Karl Patterson Schmidt Reptiles described in 1860