Micrurus clarki

Micrurus clarki, also known commonly as Clark's coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central America and northwestern South America.

Etymology

The specific name, clarki, is in honor of Dr. Herbert Charles Clark (1877–1960), who was Director of Laboratories and Preventive Medicine for United Fruit Company, and then was Director of Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (1929–1954), in Panama.

Geographic range

M. clarki is found in western Colombia (Valle del Cauca Department), Panama (Darién Gap), and southeastern Costa Rica.

Habitat

The preferred natural habitat of M. clarki is forest, at altitudes of . Favors lowland rainforest and premontane wet forestes but can also be found in transitional areas between wet and dry tropical forests.

Behavior

M. clarki is fossorial and nocturnal. Its diet mainly consist of other snakes and amphibians.

Reproduction

M. clarki is oviparous.

References

Further reading

• (1982). Snakes of South America. Hong Kong: T.F.H. Publications. 189 pp. . (Micrurus clarki, p. 114).
• Savage JM (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. 954 pp. .
• Schmidt KP (1936). "Notes on Central American and Mexican Coral Snakes". Zoological Series of Field Museum of Natural History 20: 205–216. (Micrurus clarki, new species, pp. 211–212).