''Pliocercus elapoides'', also known commonly as the variegated false coral snake, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of snake in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Colubridae Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

. The species is native to southern

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and northern

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

. There are four recognized

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

Geographic range

''P. elapoides'' is found in

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

, and southeastern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. www.reptile-database.org.

Habitat

The preferred natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

of ''P. elapoides'' is

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Description

Resembling a venomous

coral snake Coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be divided into two distinct groups, the Old World coral snakes and New World coral snakes. There are 16 species of Old World coral snakes, in three genera (''Calliophis'', '' Hemibungarus' ...

, ''P. elapoides'' has a dorsal color pattern of red, black, and yellow rings. The red scales are tipped with black.

Behavior

''P. elapoides'' is

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on or near the ground, as opposed to ...

and semi-

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric eviden ...

Reproduction

''P. elapoides'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the

nominotypical subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

. *''Pliocercus elapoides aequalis'' *''Pliocercus elapoides diastema'' *''Pliocercus elapoides elapoides'' *''Pliocercus elapoides occidentalis'' ''

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

other than ''

Pliocercus ''Pliocercus'' is a genus of snakes in the subfamily Dipsadinae. www.reptile-database.org. Geographic range Species in the genus ''Pliocercus'' are found in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. Species and subspecies The followi ...

''.

References

*Akcali, Christopher K. (2018). "''Pliocercus elapoides'' (Variegated False Coralsnake). Defensive Behavior". ''Herpetological Review'' 49 (2): 351–352. * Boulenger GA (1894). ''Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume II., Containing the Conclusion of the Colubridæ Aglyphæ.'' London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xi + 382 pp. + Plates I–XX. (''Urotheca elapoides'', new combination, pp. 182–183). * Carbajal-Márquez, Rubén A.; Quintero-Díaz, Gustavo E.; González-Saucedo, Zaira Y.; Martínez-de la Vega, Guillermo (2013). "''Pliocercus elapoides'' (Variegated False Coralsnake). Reproduction / Clutch Size". ''Herpetological Review'' 44 (4): 697. * Cope ED (1860). "Catalogue of the Colubridæ in the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, with notes and descriptions of new species. Part 2". ''Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia'' 12: 241–266. (''Pliocercus elapoides'', new species, pp. 253–254). *Díaz-García, Juan Manuel; Kelly-Hernández, Alfonso; Vásquez-Cruz, Víctor (2022). "''Depredación de ''Rheohyla miotympanum'' (Anura: Hylidae) por ''Pliocercus elapoides'' (Squamata: Colubridae) en el centro de Veracruz'' ". ''Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología'' 5 (3): 1–4. (in Spanish). * Smith HM, Chiszar D (2001). "''Pliocercus elapoides'' Cope, Variegated False Coral Snake". ''Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles'' (739): 1–11. Pliocercus Snakes of Central America Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of Belize Reptiles of Guatemala Reptiles of Honduras Reptiles of El Salvador Reptiles described in 1860 Taxa named by Edward Drinker Cope {{Dipsadinae-stub