Redescrição da rara cobra-coral micrurus paraensis Cunha & Nascimento, 1973, com descrição de hemipênis (elapidae: elapinae)

Abstract

The coral snake Micrurus paraensis Cunha & Nascimento, 1973, initially a subspecies of M. psyches (Daudin, 1931), is distributed in eastern Pará state and western Maranhão state, with an isolated population in Rondônia state. Although considered a full species by the authors of the species, other authors disagree, maintaining subspecific status in recent publications. Motivated by the established systematic impasse, the feasibility of analyzing the entire type-series and adding new specimens to the characterization of the taxon, we analyzed the specimens deposited in the Herpetological Collection of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (MPEG): 44 (27 males and 17 females), from 19 municipalities (including the entire type-series), 17 from Pará, 1 from Maranhão, and 1 from Rondônia. External characteristics (20 meristic, 27 morphometric), coloration (number of rings), and hemipennis analysis (N=3) were considered. M. paraensis is characterized by having 11 to 20 black rings, separated by red band, around the body and 3 to 18 on the tail; moderate length, 190 to 648 mm (N=43); high number of ventral scales, 180 to 223 (N=44), few subcaudals, 30 to 53 (N=44); supralabial shields usually 7/7 (98%) and 7/6 (2%) (N=44); 2 supralabials, on both sides, touching the eye socket (97.2%, N=42) of which 3 on the right side in one female; infralabials 7/7 (95.5%),7/6 in one specimen and 6/6 in another (N=42). The snout represents 20 to 30% (N=44) of the head length, the length of the Prefrontal shield may equal up to 2.3 times that of the internal shield (N=43). The tail represents 7.92 to 20.80% of the body length (x=15.06%, N=43). The data obtained broaden the range of diagnostic characters, allowing a detailed redescription of the species, with the inclusion of new features not previously considered. Advisor: Prof. Rubens Nobuo Yuki, Department of Zoology.