Micrurus lemniscatus

Micrurus lemniscatus, commonly known as the South American coral snake, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to South America.
Description and Behavior.
It is a thin and brightly colored species, adults measure 60-90 cm in length, the maximum previously reported was 145 cm, the front of the head is black and with a narrow white ring in front of the eyes, the eyes are small and the rest of the head is red. The body pattern consists of slightly broad red rings that are separated by 7 to 17 triads of 3 black and white rings, the tail has 2 black triads alternating with white rings.
Like many coral snakes, it is nocturnal and terrestrial, digging loose soil or litter, it is not aggressive towards humans, although it can attack to defend itself. Breeding is Oviparous, having a litter of possibly 20 eggs. Limentation is mainly related to other snakes, lizards and invertebrates.
Geographic range and Habitat.
"M. lemniscatus" is found in Argentina, northern Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, eastern Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, eastern Peru, Suriname, Trinidad, and Venezuela. It is a widespread species in South America, they live in humid forests and lowland lowland forests, in open savannas and gallery forests. It is also found in lowland floodplains, deforested areas or near human habitation, in humid areas or near places with a water source, it occurs near sea level, at an altitude of 1,000 m.
Venom.
The venom of M. lemniscatus is a potent post- and pre-synaptic neurotoxin, which causes a potent and irreversible neuromuscular block in vertebrate. Lemnitoxin, a potent myotoxic PLA2 type toxin, isolated from the venom of M. lemniscatus induces local and systemic myotoxicity after intramuscular and intravenous injection in mice, which is antigenically related to Micrurus nigrocinctus nigroxin, Notechis scutatus notexin, mulgotoxin of Pseudechis australis and textilotoxin of Pseudonaja textilis. 
Subspecies.
There are currently four recognized subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies:
"Nota bene": A binomial authority or trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species or subspecies was originally described in a genus other than "Micrurus".
Etymology.
The subspecific names, "carvahloi" and "helleri", are in honor of Brazilian herpetologist and American zoologist Edmund Heller, respectively.