TAXONOMIC REVISION OF ARGENTINEAN CORAL SNAKES MICRURUS

NENDA, SANTIAGO J.; VANESA ARZAMENDIA; ALEJANDRO R. GIRAUDO

Goiás

Simposio; International Symposium on Coralsnakes; 2016

Pontíficia Universidade Católica de Goiás

The genus Micrurus comprise 80 species of highly venomous coral snakes widely distributed in the Americas. Many of its species are cryptic and have poorly defined and complex interspecific limits, which generated numerous historical and current taxonomics confusion. In Argentina, the taxonomic status of the genus was very confusing, with unstable specific and sub-specific assignations. In the1980s only two species, one of them with three subspecies, were cited in Argentina, and after 30 years is now recognized the presence of six species, including M. altirostris, M. baliocoryphus, M. corallinus, M . lemniscatus, M. pyrrhocryptus and M. silviae. However, several taxonomic problems are still evident when we analyze the variation and distribution of known Argentinean species. We present a new revision of the genus Micrurus in Argentina, based on morphological an coloration characters of more than 500 specimens addressing some of the key taxonomic problems, for example: (1) How many species inhabit Argentina?,  (2) What is their distribution?, (3) What is the geographical variation and taxonomic status of M. pyrrhocryptus and its recently proposed subspecies?, (4) What are the diagnostic characters to distinguish cryptic species?. We demonstrate the presence of M. frontalis (sensu stricto) in Argentina. Additionally, we analyzed the variation of other species, with emphasis on M. altirostris, M. baliocoryphus and M. pyrrhocryptus, all with type localities in Argentina, considering its possible taxonomic consequences.