Trinidad northern coral snake
Coral Nortefia Trinitaria
Cobra Coral Septentrional de Trinidad
These snakes reach a maximum size of about 54 cm, the average size is between 40 to 50 cm. There is a black cap on the top of the head. This cap is sometimes fused with the black nuchal band. When not fused, there is a yellow or white band covering one dorsal scale, and the temporal scales and the last supralabials. The chin is black with a white scrossband that covers the last infralabials and a portion of the genials. The black nuchal band is 3 to 4 dorsals long. The black bands are 2 to 3 dorsals long and irregularly shaped. The red bands a clear and have black tips. The red bands on the ventral scales have irregular black spots. (Roze, 1996).
There are 178 to 205 ventral scales, and 30 to 50 subcaudal scales (Roze, 1996).
Colubrid ground snakes (Atractus trilineatus) and snakelike teiid lizards (Bachia) (Roze, 1996).
Trinidad, adjacent mainland Venezuela, northern Guyana (Roze, 1996).
Lowland rain forest and low montane wet to intermediate forest, from sea level to 400 m.
Holotype: MNHN 3912 designated as lectotype by Roze, 1989.
Type-locality: Martinique.
