Micrurus laticollaris (Peters)
Elaps marcgravii laticollaris Peters, Monats. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, p. 877, 1869.—Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, México.
Micrurus laticollaris, Schmidt, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool. ser., 20:39, December 11, 1933.
El Sabino (2); Lombardia.
This species ranges throughout the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin westward into Colima; specimens from Michoacán were collected in arid scrub forest at elevations from 500 to 1050 meters. The limited observations on Micrurus distans michoacanensis and M. laticollaris indicate that, at least in the Tepalcatepec Valley, M. laticollaris seems to inhabit slightly more mesic areas than does M. distans michoacanensis.
Pelamis platurus (Linnaeus)
Anguis platura Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12, 1:391, 1766.—Pine Island, Pacific Ocean.
Pelamis platurus, Gray, Ann. Philos., p. 15, 1825.
Boca de Apiza.
In November, 1955, Alfonzo Gonzales, a geographer from the University of Texas, observed sea snakes on the beaches of Michoacán. In May, 1956, Donald D. Brand of the University of Texas gave me one specimen of Pelamis platurus that he obtained on March 2, 1956, at Boca de Apiza. Furthermore, he supplied me with the following observations based on his field work along the coast of Michoacán from the Río Coahuayana to Maruata from March 1, to April 15, 1956. At that time many sea snakes were observed; in some places living and dead individuals were seen on the beaches; innumerable snakes were seen in the surf. When live individuals were taken from the beach and thrown into the ocean, they usually swam to shore. Many partially eaten individuals were seen protruding from crab holes. Inquiries among the natives resulted in the following information: Sea snakes are frequently seen between November and April, but most commonly in March and April, at which time the water is cold. The natives referred to the sea snakes as "culebra del mar." Most natives said that the snakes were not poisonous; others did not know of any venomous properties. In May, 1956, I worked the coastal region from the Río Coahuayana to La Placita and saw no sea snakes. In the summer of 1950 James A. Peters, and in the summer of 1951 I worked nearly the entire coastal region of Michoacán; during that time no Pelamis were seen. Insofar as I know, this is the first report of such seasonal activity in Pelamis platurus in the Americas.