Micrurus alleni
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Micrurus alleni, also known commonly as Allen's coral snake, the arrow-headed coral snake, and coral cabeza flecha in local Spanish, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Central America.
The specific name, alleni, is in honor of American herpetologist Morrow J. Allen who collected the holotype. Micrurus alleni is found in Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The preferred natural habitat of Micrurus alleni is forest, at elevations from sea level to 1,620 m (5,310 ft).
Micrurus alleni preys on the marbled swamp eel (Synbranchus marmoratus), caecilians, lizards, and snakes. Micrurus alleni is oviparous. Micrurus alleni possesses a powerful venom. When "milked" in a laboratory, the average venom yield was only 3 mg (dry weight). However, the estimated lethal dose for an adult human is only 3–5 mg. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Piedras Blancas National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
No species of the same family or order lives in Tortuguero National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other reptiles.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Allen's Coralsnake sighting in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 27th most-seen of the 34 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report an Allen's Coralsnake in Tortuguero National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, May–June, August and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Allen's Coralsnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Allen's Coralsnake sightings, Tortuguero National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Piedras Blancas National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Allen's Coralsnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Tortuguero National Park (10 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
