Micrurus tener

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	REPTILIA	SQUAMATA	ELAPIDAE

Scientific Name:

Micrurus tener

Species Authority:

(Baird & Girard, 1853)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Texas Coralsnake, Texas Coral Snake

Synonym/s:

Micrurus fulvius ssp. tener (Baird & Girard, 1853)

Taxonomic Notes:

Micrurus tener formerly was included as a subspecies of M. fulvius. Crother et al. (2000), Collins and Taggart (2002), and Campbell and Lamar (2004) recognized M. tener and M. fulvius as distinct species.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2007
Assessor/s:	Hammerson, G.A., Lavin, P. & Mendoza Quijano, F.
Reviewer/s:	Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team)
Justification: Listed as Least Concern because it is widespread, common and there are no major threats to the species at present.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	The species' range extends from western Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas to central and western Texas in the United States to Mexico in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and northern Veracruz, extending west to Hidalgo, Guanajuato and San Luis Potosi. It occurs at elevations from near sea level to about 500 m asl in the United States and to about 2,000 m asl in Mexico (Dundee and Rossman 1989, Campbell and Lamar 2004, Trauth et al. 2004).
Countries:	Native: Mexico; United States
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 100,000. It is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations) (see dot maps of collection sites in Dundee and Rossman 1989, Werler and Dixon 2000, and Campbell and Lamar 2004). This snake is common in Texas (Tennant 1998). In Mexico it is a widespread and common species. The population trend is undocumented, but its extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size are probably relatively stable.
Population Trend:	Stable

Population:

Adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 100,000. It is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations) (see dot maps of collection sites in Dundee and Rossman 1989, Werler and Dixon 2000, and Campbell and Lamar 2004). This snake is common in Texas (Tennant 1998). In Mexico it is a widespread and common species. The population trend is undocumented, but its extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size are probably relatively stable.

Population Trend:

Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Habitats are varied and include mixed pine and hardwood forests, subtropical thorn scrub, tall-grass prairie, and riparian woodlands in otherwise dry areas (Campbell and Lamar 2004). In Louisiana and Arkansas, this snake inhabits forested areas (Dundee and Rossman 1989, Trauth et al. 2004). In Texas, habitats include rocky creek banks and canyons of oak-juniper brakes, live oak woodland, thornbrush chaparral of the coastal plain, sandy grass-mesquite, Cross Timbers woodland-thickets, and pine-hardwood forest; also gardens, wooded lots, and undeveloped parklands in cities; habitat is generally partially wooded and has organic ground litter (Werler and Dixon 2000). In western Texas and northern Tamaulipas, this snake usually is found near watercourses and in vegetation along temporary streams (Campbell and Lamar 2004). In northern Mexico, this snake occurs in mesquite-grassland, thorn forest, and desert; in southern Tamaulipas, it reaches 900 m asl in oak savanna; at the south end of the range it is apparently restricted to high elevations in pine-oak forest and mesquite-grassland (Campbell and Lamar 2004). This snake is often underground, under leaf-litter, logs or stumps, or similarly secluded. Eggs probably are laid in loose soil or decaying organic matter, or underground or under leaf-litter or surface objects.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Habitats are varied and include mixed pine and hardwood forests, subtropical thorn scrub, tall-grass prairie, and riparian woodlands in otherwise dry areas (Campbell and Lamar 2004). In Louisiana and Arkansas, this snake inhabits forested areas (Dundee and Rossman 1989, Trauth et al. 2004). In Texas, habitats include rocky creek banks and canyons of oak-juniper brakes, live oak woodland, thornbrush chaparral of the coastal plain, sandy grass-mesquite, Cross Timbers woodland-thickets, and pine-hardwood forest; also gardens, wooded lots, and undeveloped parklands in cities; habitat is generally partially wooded and has organic ground litter (Werler and Dixon 2000). In western Texas and northern Tamaulipas, this snake usually is found near watercourses and in vegetation along temporary streams (Campbell and Lamar 2004). In northern Mexico, this snake occurs in mesquite-grassland, thorn forest, and desert; in southern Tamaulipas, it reaches 900 m asl in oak savanna; at the south end of the range it is apparently restricted to high elevations in pine-oak forest and mesquite-grassland (Campbell and Lamar 2004). This snake is often underground, under leaf-litter, logs or stumps, or similarly secluded. Eggs probably are laid in loose soil or decaying organic matter, or underground or under leaf-litter or surface objects.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	In the United States, there are no major threats known, but the species has declined in some areas in Texas that have undergone intensive urbanization (Werler and Dixon 2000). In Mexico, the species is killed because it is venomous, however, it is not under any significant threat at present.

Major Threat(s):

In the United States, there are no major threats known, but the species has declined in some areas in Texas that have undergone intensive urbanization (Werler and Dixon 2000). In Mexico, the species is killed because it is venomous, however, it is not under any significant threat at present.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in many protected areas across its wide range.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in many protected areas across its wide range.

Citation:	Hammerson, G.A., Lavin, P. & Mendoza Quijano, F. 2007. Micrurus tener. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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