Distribution

Southern USA, Mexico. See link "Distribution" at the top of the page for detailed information.

Biology

Brightly banded, with wide red and black bands and narrow yellow and white rings. Slender body, small head. Body and colouring similar to many Coral snakes of the genus Micrurus. Length up to 60 cm. Habitat in the Sonoran Desert below 2,000 m, most frequent in rocky, upland desert regions where the saguaro cactus is prevalent. Nocturnal and very secretive, spending most of their time under rocks or buried in the soil. If provoked, it will bury its head in the coils of its body and raise its tail to expose the underside.

Risk

Because of its secretive and shy behaviour bites are very rare and no deaths have been reported to date.

Literature (biological)

Campbell and Lamar 1989, 2004, Di-Bernardo et al. 2007, Lancini 1986, Lavin-Murcio and Dixon 2004, Morata de Carvalho 2002, Pérez-Santos and Moreno 1988, Renjifo and Lundberg 2003, Roze 1974, 1982, Russell 1983, Villa 1984, O'Shea 2005